Packaging has been a key focus of our environmental efforts. In designing our packaging, we've worked to reduce materials use and while increasing recycled content and recyclable materials.

Recycled Content Packaging

• We are working with vendors who are members of the Recycled Paperboard Alliance to convert items to recycled materials.
• We use recycled-content materials if they meet Quality & Safety guidelines and federal regulations that govern the use of recycled material in food contact packaging.
• Many of the folding cartons used to display product in stores are made of 100 percent recycled fibers.
• Including food-contact packaging, where federal guidelines limit the use of recycled-content materials, our paperboard packaging averages 60 percent recycled content.
• Our corrugated shipping cases contain at least 33 percent recycled content materials.
• Dagoba uses 100 percent recycled paper for box packaging, and the highest available recycled content for corrugated cases and labels.
• Scharffen Berger's display cases are printed on recycled-content corrugate.

The following highlight some of the improvements we've made to date:

• By changing the packaging for ICE BREAKERS® Mints we decreased total package weight by 43 percent. This resulted in 90 fewer truckloads of container weight being transported annually and saved 1.8 million pounds of materials.
• A change in caps for HERSHEY®'S Syrup resulted in 63 fewer truckloads of inbound caps being transported annually and saved 360,000 pounds of materials.
• We converted corrugated cases to high-performance paper liner boards. This reduced paper-based fibers used by 15 percent, saving thousands of tons of material.
• We moved to a lighter gauge of flexible packaging for packaged candy and snack items, reducing materials use by 10 percent.
• We changed to a lighter foil on HERSHEY'S NUGGETS®, HERSHEY®'S MINIATURES, REESE'S® MINIATURES and HERSHEY®'S KISSES® products, reducing aluminum use by 10 percent.
• Many of our packaging items can be recycled where appropriate collection programs exist. Click here (PDF) to learn more about our packaging materials to help determine what is recyclable where you live.