The Home Depot — Ethics Grade C+

The Home Depot receives an overall ethics grade of C+ (55/100) on CancelCo's corporate accountability database. Sector: Retail. Market cap: Large Cap.

Category scores

• labor: 60
• privacy: 45
• consumer: 55
• environment: 40
• humanRights: 65

Documented incidents (3)

• Massive Credit Card Breach (high, 2014) — Hackers gained access to Home Depot's network, compromising the data of 56 million customer accounts in one of the largest retail breaches in history.
• Illegal Russian Lumber Ties (medium, 2021) — Investigation by environmental groups found Home Depot had sourced wood from Russian companies accused of illegal logging in ecologically sensitive areas.
• PFAS in Flooring (medium, 2022) — Public health groups pressured the company to phase out flooring products containing 'forever chemicals' (PFAS) which are linked to significant health risks.

Documented good deeds

• Foundation for Veterans — Committed over $500 million to veteran-related causes specifically targeting housing to end veteran homelessness.

Ethical alternatives

• Lowe's Companies — Better ESG reporting and earlier adoption of chemical safety protocols.