The Hershey Company has always been a leader in the realm of environmental issues, since 1937 when the company established its first recycling center in Hershey, Pennsylvania years before recycling became a common practice (“2014 Corporate Social Responsibility Report”, 2014). As the largest producer of chocolate in North America, they fully believe in incorporating corporate social responsibility, which includes the goals of environmental stewardship and promoting and engaging in sustainability through all aspects of the company (“Three Hershey Plants Achieve ‘Zero Waste to Landfill’”, 2012). The company constantly continues to upgrade its environmental sustainability programs by including new goals each year for environmental stewardship, which also helps the business operations and increases cost savings to enhance the financial strength of the company (“2014 Corporate Social Responsibility Report”, 2014).
As of 2014 Hershey’s has eleven facilities, which have achieved zero waste to landfill status, and in order to achieve this they have reduced waste streams and increased recycling to about 90 percent (Recycling Today Staff, 2013)(“2014 Corporate Social Responsibility Report”, 2014). The remaining 10 percent of waste is sent to nearby energy incinerators, which eliminates the need for landfill usage (Recycling Today Staff, 2013). These zero waste to landfill facilities and a new feature in the company for sustainable packaging design for Hershey’s Miniatures are some of the key achievements in not only the disposal from facilities, but the environmental performance of the company (“2014 Corporate Social Responsibility Report”, 2014). In 2014, the sustainable packaging design helped to reduce waste by 1.75 million pounds, and they continue to set goals that will contribute significantly to reducing more waste each year and enhancing disposal of waste at all facilities (“2014 Corporate Social Responsibility Report”, 2014). The Hershey Company feels entitled to the responsibility and environmental stewardship of constantly reducing its waste stream, and not only does this help set a high standard for companies around the globe, but it creates a need for companies to continually take responsibility for the potential affects their companies may have on the environment if proper disposal is not followed. The Hershey Company is focused on continually advancing the environmental sustainability of the company seeking to reduce waste at all facilities and reduce the environmental impact of all of the facilities around the World (Recycling Today Staff, 2013).
The Hershey Company constantly considers the economic, environmental, and social impacts that could occur throughout every aspect of their business including things such as disposal of waste, and this helps to inform and create a sustainability strategy with far reaching efforts to promote lasting and positive impacts (“2014 Corporate Social Responsibility Report”, 2014). This affective method for disposal of waste and policies to reduce waste contribute significantly to helping the Hershey Company be a highly successful and corporately responsible company.