HERSHEY, Pa. – Recently, the Hershey Company released its 2016 Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR) report, highlighting progress in improving environmental sustainability. One key achievement shared in the report is an innovative new packaging approach that Hershey developed last year to reduce corrugate waste, lessen its carbon footprint and improve sustainability efficiencies across the supply chain.

“Simplicity doesn’t just apply to our ingredients,” Greg Gressel, director of disruptive supply chain for The Hershey Company, told NACS Daily. “With packaging, we wanted to reduce waste and save time, and one way to do that was by rethinking our packaging approach. Our new ‘25 by 25’ sustainability goals help reduce our retail customers’ display setup time, improve safety, and maximize the shopping experience of our customers. We are proud of this effort and look to set an industry standard among suppliers.”

The new design for Hershey’s packaging and display ready case (DRC) model at the retail level includes:

• One-piece design with no cover packaging
• Integrated stacking “shelf” for more stable endcap execution
• Patent-pending easy-open window without perforation
• Elimination of the center divider for better presentation
• “Late stage box differentiation” through labels, versus pre-printing
• Enhanced print and digital design

The result is packaging that uses 32% less material, including 3.12 fewer pounds of corrugate. That’s equivalent to 24,000 trees saved, 184 trucks taken off the road, and a 1,340 metric ton reduction in CO2.

This reimagined approach also helped save significant costs, reduced retail customers’ display setup time by 62% and even improved safety.