OXO Announces New Nonprofit Partners as Part of its 1% for the Planet Giving Commitment

Sustainable food systems and community food programs are the focus of all new grantees

NEW YORK, Jan. 31, 2023 /PRNewswire/ -- OXO, an award-winning consumer brand from the Home & Outdoor business segment of Helen of Troy Limited (NASDAQ: HELE), has added new nonprofits to its growing global network of environmental partners as part of its 1% for the Planet^® commitment.

In 2020, OXO signed on as a business member of 1% for the Planet, a global community of brands giving back to environmental partners driving positive impact. OXO commits 1% of annual sales to support nonprofit organizations, and since joining 1% for the Planet, has provided millions of dollars in funds and resources to groups that are addressing some of the most pressing environmental issues to date.

OXO's carefully curated group of grantees has steadily grown since joining 1% for the Planet in 2020, from 5 to 13, and now 20 total nonprofit partners. With this growth comes a refined focus on the strategic areas for giving, partnering specifically with nonprofits that are part of our global food system, from seed to kitchen to compost pile. OXO is donating money, time, and resources to partners working to improve sustainable food systems, food education, recovery & access.

With its new group of nonprofit grantees, OXO has solidified its international reach from the United States to France, Germany, the UK, Japan, and Australia.

• GreenWave works with coastal communities throughout North America to replicate and scale regenerative ocean farming—a zero-input, polyculture model that grows seaweed and shellfish. Their goal is to train and support 10,000 farmers by 2030 to catalyze the planting of regenerative ocean crops and yield meaningful economic and climate impacts.
• Aux Arbes Citoyens, based in France, builds a nationwide network of sustainable orchards in urban environments to increase access to healthy food. The group organizes volunteer groups to collect and distribute fruit from these mini orchards to those in need, strengthening local communities.
• Eat REAL was founded in 2012 by health advocates wanting to improve and bring transparency to food systems in U.S.-based schools. Its school certification model increases access to real, healthy food in schools by verifying that district food service leaders have made and maintained meaningful improvements to student menus.
• Farmers for Climate Action works with farmers across Australia to educate and influence key decision-makers to adopt economy-wide climate policies, ensuring farmers can remain prosperous long-term as the challenges of a changing climate, including extreme weather risk, come to bear.
• The Farmlink Project connects farmers and agricultural organizations that have surplus produce across the U.S. to food banks and access groups, acting as the link that makes food redistribution possible. In addition to feeding those in need, Farmlink Project aims to keep food waste out of landfills to continue to reduce harmful carbon emissions from reaching our atmosphere.
• The Giving Grove provides healthy calories and strengthens communities through a nationwide network of orchards that increase access to healthy food. Volunteers plant and care for fruit trees, nut trees, and berry brambles that improve urban environments, increase tree canopy and provide a sustainable source of free, organically grown food for neighborhoods facing high rates of food insecurity.
• Second Harvest Japan increases food security in Japan by getting healthy but otherwise discarded food from retailers, farmers, and manufacturers and redistributing it to those in need. The organization aims to strengthen the food lifeline and build a food safety net so that food banks are used as public assets in communities throughout Japan.
• Support + Feed is an intersectional nonprofit organization dedicated to creating an equitable, plant-based food system and combating food insecurity and the climate crisis. Founded in Los Angeles by Maggie Baird, Support+Feed has expanded to ten U.S. cities, worked with over 80 community organizations, and supported local economies across the country.
• Tafel Deutschland supports more than 2 million people in Germany affected by poverty. The group recovers high-quality food that can no longer be sold and passes it on to people who cannot afford a balanced diet. With 60,000 helpers, the Tafel is one of the largest socio-ecological movements in Germany, saving around 265,000 tons of food every year.
• The Orchard Project is the only national nonprofit in the UK dedicated to the creation, restoration, and celebration of community orchards. Their vision is for every household to be within walking distance of a productive, well-cared-for, community-run orchard.

These organizations join an existing roster of global nonprofits making change both in their local communities and on a national scale, including:

• Big Green, based in Colorado, creates healthy places where kids can learn and grow through outdoor learning environments and programming.
• Soul Fire Farm, based in Petersburg, New York, is a Black, Indigenous, and People of Color (BIPOC)-centered community farm committed to ending racism and injustice in the food system.
• City Blossoms, based in Washington, D.C., is a nonprofit that cultivates the well-being of local communities through creative programming in kid-driven gardens.
• FareShare, based in London, is a UK-wide network of nonprofits working with the food industry to rescue good quality surplus food that would otherwise go to waste and redistribute it to community groups across the UK.
• Food Recovery Network, based in Washington, D.C., is made up of 4,000 college students, dining providers, food suppliers, and local businesses in the fight against climate change and hunger.
• Harlem Grown, based in Harlem, NY, inspires youth to lead healthy and ambitious lives through mentorship and hands-on education in urban farming, sustainability, and nutrition through their 13 agricultural sites and intensive streams of programming.
• Veni Verdi, based in Paris, France, creates school vegetable gardens in urban areas with the aim of raising awareness among the next generation of growers.
• OzHarvest, based in Australia, is a leading food rescue operation feeding people in need and engaging the community to combat food waste, climate change, and hunger.
• Trust for Public Land, based in San Francisco, California, creates parks and protects public land where they are needed most so that everyone will have access to the benefits and joys of the outdoors for generations to come.
• Rodale Institute, based in Pennsylvania, is dedicated to growing the regenerative organic movement through rigorous research, farmer training, and consumer education.

To date, OXO's nonprofit partners have garnered impressive results in their efforts:

Sustainable Food Systems*

• 1,036 metric tons of greenhouse gas emissions** prevented from entering the atmosphere. That's the equivalent of
• 2,571,573 miles driven by an average passenger vehicle
• 131 homes' energy use for 1 year
• 126,032,983 smartphones charged**
• Over 11,000 volunteers and 1,000 farmers engaged in OXO's 1% for the Planet-funded programming. Farmers participated in both virtual and in-person training to learn about how to integrate regenerative agriculture best practices.

Food Access & Recovery*

• 855,210 meals provided to those in need
• 1,015,774 pounds of food rescued and recovered for redistribution and meal creation
• 29,457,434 gallons of water saved via food recovery efforts

Food Education*

• Over 100,000 students and over 9,000 teachers engaged in OXO's 1% for the Planet-funded programming in over 300 schools
• 739 hours education and training provided with over 190 workshops and events held
• 29 educational activities and curriculums created

"We're delighted by our partnership progress to date and are thrilled to continue to contribute to the inspiring on-the-ground results driven by our global nonprofit community," says Larry Witt, President of Home & Outdoor, Helen of Troy. "As a brand founded and rooted in the kitchen, we're working with organizations around the world who are helping to bring about vital changes in community food programs, improving healthy food access and education, and ensuring that our planet and future generations thrive."

For more information on our 1% for the Planet commitment and nonprofit partners, please visit https://www.oxo.com/1-percent.

*Cumulative metrics included based on reported data and achievements shared from non-profit organizations since 2020 and through June 2022.
**Greenhouse gas emissions calculations are based on the avoided emissions per pound of food diverted from landfill using the United Nations Food and Agriculture Organization data. The equivalency data reported is based on the US Environmental Protection Agency's Greenhouse Gas Equivalencies Calculator.

About OXO

For over 30 years, OXO has been globally recognized for its groundbreaking, award-winning universal product design. Starting with the iconic OXO Good Grips Swivel Peeler in 1990, OXO has paired innovation and purpose to create tools and gadgets that make everyday living better, every day. Today, OXO makes products that span several home categories: cooking, baking, cleaning, storage and organization, coffee, baby. The brand has won over 100 design awards worldwide; its products reside in the collection of the Museum of Modern Art and the Smithsonian Cooper Hewitt National Design Museum. OXO consistently challenges convention, solving problems and anticipating needs with thoughtful, modern design solutions. OXO is a proud member of 1% for the Planet, committing 1% of annual sales to support environmental nonprofits. Learn more about how OXO is making the everyday better at www.oxo.com.

About Helen of Troy Limited

Helen of Troy Limited (Nasdaq: HELE) is a leading global consumer products company offering creative products and solutions for its customers through a diversified portfolio of well-recognized and widely trusted brands, including OXO, Hydro Flask, Osprey, Vicks, Braun, Honeywell, PUR, Hot Tools and Drybar. The Company sometimes refers to these brands as its Leadership Brands. All trademarks herein belong to Helen of Troy Limited (or its subsidiaries) and/or are used under license from their respective licensors. For more information about Helen of Troy, please visit www.helenoftroy.com.

About 1% for the Planet

1% for the Planet is a global organization that exists to ensure our planet and future generations thrive. We inspire businesses and individuals to support Environmental Partners through membership and everyday actions. We make environmental giving easy and effective through partnership advising, impact storytelling and third-party certification.

Started in 2002 by Yvon Chouinard, founder of Patagonia, and Craig Mathews, founder of Blue Ribbon Flies, our business members and individual members have given hundreds of millions of dollars to our approved Environmental Partners to date. Today, 1% for the Planet's global network consists of thousands of businesses, individuals and Environmental Partners working toward a better future for all.

Look for our logo to purchase for the planet, learn more and join at onepercentfortheplanet.org/join.

Media Contacts:
For Helen of Troy Home & Outdoor, OXO
Alexandra Cano
Senior PR Manager
[email protected]

SOURCE OXO International