Responsible Sourcing Program

Our responsible sourcing program, which includes social compliance and supply chain security, aims to increase transparency across our supply chain to ensure our customers and consumers receive high-quality and ethically produced or sourced products. 

Our relationship with suppliers ensures that all businesses have a fair and equitable opportunity to participate in any outsourced Newell Brands projects. We are committed to ethical practices that ultimately contribute to our ability to provide innovative, quality products to our consumers and grow our brands.  

We invite suppliers to compete for our business; in return, suppliers can expect a level playing field. We have no hidden factors in evaluating suppliers and submitted proposals – all relevant decision criteria will be spelled out before soliciting a proposal.

Vendor Code of Conduct & Responsible Sourcing Manual

The Vendor Code of Conduct establishes the standards Newell requires from all suppliers across human rights, labor practices, health and safety, environmental compliance, and management practices. All suppliers are required to attest to the COC annually. The Responsible Sourcing Manual details our escalation, audit, corrective action processes, and Zero Tolerance Policy. In 2025, the Manual was updated to reflect new regulatory changes, updates to the Zero Tolerance process, the addition of preaudit support, and regulatory compliance elements related to product sustainability.

Individuals within supplier factories can report grievances or violations to our 24-hour Ethics Hotline, a retaliation-free outlet that any Newell Brands employee or suppliers’ employees can use to issue a complaint. Audits also ensure that suppliers have established the appropriate grievance mechanisms for their factory employees.  

For more details on our social compliance and supply chain security programs, including our assessment program, issues, and program requirements, please review our Vendor Code of Conduct: 

Select a language below to view our Vendor Code of Conduct.

Regulatory Statements

Conflict Minerals Disclosure and Report

Modern Slavery and Supply Chain Transparency Statement pursuant to the following Acts:

  • Australian Modern Slavery Act Statement
  • California Transparency in Supply Chains Act
  • Fighting Against Forced Labour and Child Labour in Supply Chains Act (Canada)
  • UK Modern Slavery Act

Zero Tolerance Issues & Human Rights 

Newell defines Zero Tolerance as any reported violations in the areas of:

  • Child labor

  • Forced or prison labor

  • Bribery attempts in any form

  • Discrimination

  • Harassment

  • Corporal punishment

  • Unauthorized subcontracting

  • Falsified documents

  • Denial of access

  • Circumvention of the audit process

  • Wastewater discharge into the environment without treatment

  • Contraband container content

Occasionally, we will experience critical issues that we categorize as Zero Tolerance Failures. If a supplier has a confirmed Zero Tolerance Failure – their relationship with Newell is subject to immediate termination.

Human rights due diligence risk assessments are addressed by internal and external third-party social compliance audits against the Vendor Code of Conduct. Our annual supplier training and our quarterly webinars include tracks on zero-tolerance issues. 

Audits also ensure suppliers have established the appropriate grievance mechanisms for their factory employees. Newell Brands provides a 24-hour Ethics Hotline that any Newell Brands employee or supplier’s employee can use to report a complaint in good faith without fear of retaliation.  

Social Compliance & Supply Chain Security

Newell uses a comprehensive, risk-based monitoring approach to determine which suppliers require audits. Suppliers are assessed based on country-of-origin risk and assigned to low, medium, or high-risk categories. High-risk suppliers are audited on a two-year rolling basis, with frequency adjusted based on past audit performance.

Audits are conducted using the SMETA four-pillar framework, administered through SEDEX — the Supplier Ethical Data Exchange, a global platform for sharing and receiving audit reports in a secure and controlled manner. The four-pillar framework covers labor practices, health and safety, environmental performance, and business ethics. Newell's membership in SEDEX enables more effective segmentation of supplier risk and more efficient audit documentation across the program. All new finished goods suppliers undergo SMETA four-pillar audits, which include an environmental assessment section.

In 2025, the program was extended to include sub-tier suppliers for auditing, Vendor Code of Conduct compliance, and training. Traceability assessments for high-risk commodities were also added to ensure alignment with regulatory changes related to forced labor. In 2025, 396 social compliance audits and 215 supply chain security audits were conducted, with a 99% monitoring plan completion rate.

Goals

With an ever-changing global regulatory environment and growing consumer and customer expectations, traceability has never been more critical. We aim to enhance the traceability and transparency of our supply chain and as we continue to enhance our Responsible Sourcing program, we have established the following goals for the next three years:

  • Auditing and Monitoring: Audit suppliers representing approximately 95 percent of total costs of goods sold over a rolling three-year basis, specifically focusing on high-risk and low-performing suppliers.
  • Team Development: Provide development opportunities to our employees who engage suppliers and visit their sites, ensuring a broader understanding of Responsible Sourcing standards across functions.
  • Traceability for Regulated Products: Develop a more robust traceability program for regulated products, focusing on sub-tier raw materials and component suppliers.
  • Continuous Improvement: Adapt and refine our program to align with evolving customer expectations, regulatory changes, and industry best practices.

If you have questions about our Vendor Code of Conduct or Responsible Sourcing Manual, please email our team at responsiblesourcing@newellco.com. 

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