Hershey's Sustainability Plans—Plus 5 Other Companies Making Moves

Written by

Giulia Lallas

Published

Every month, we’re breaking down the sustainability efforts of some of the biggest and most well-known companies. Because when they make changes—even small ones!—others follow suit. And those changes lead to a brighter future for all of us.

In March, there were noteworthy announcements from food brands, fashion designers, and more. Here's how companies made their businesses greener, from Hershey's sustainability plans to Procter & Gamble's plan to decrease its virgin plastic use by 50 percent.

5 Big Companies Making Eco-Friendly Changes

1. Hershey’s

In late February, Hershey’s made history with its release of the organic Reese's Peanut Butter Cup. But Hershey’s is also involved in a lot of behind-the-scenes efforts to reduce its carbon footprint. Earlier this month, Hershey's sustainability goals were released, which are in accordance with the Paris Climate Agreement.

As CSRWire stated, this translates to “investments in energy efficiency, renewable energy, and packaging innovations, and sustainable land-use policies.” Furthermore, the company is hoping to cut its packaging weight by 25 million pounds and is working to have reusable, recyclable, or compostable packaging in all of its products by 2030. These efforts and its anti-deforestation campaign all contribute to the brand’s Environment, Social, and Corporate Governance (ESG) agenda.

2. Procter & Gamble

As touched upon in last month’s company roundup, Procter & Gamble (P&G) is already making sustainable moves through its partnership with Walmart. But this recent announcement goes a step further. By 2030, P&G aims to decrease its virgin plastic use by 50 percent. This goal is furthered by the objective to hit 100 percent reusability or recyclability by that same year, which is all part of the brand’s “Ambition 2030” projec t.

Also, this fast-moving consumer goods company is the first of its kind to hop on the RecyClass Initiative. P&G is a massive umbrella organization that owns Tide, Pantene, Febreze, Always, and more, so this is a huge step in the right direction.

3. Puma

Designer Nicole McLaughlin partnered with Puma to make an epic, street-wear-approved jacket. This jacket, made by upcycling soccer goalie gloves, has been praised for its uniqueness and creativity. But this isn’t the first time McLaughlin has impressed the fashion community. Some of her other unusual pieces include a tank top made from Nike hats, tennis ball slippers, and a Puma sports bra collection made from soccer balls, gloves, and more.

4. L’Oréal

L’Oréal has recently pushed for increased transparency in its ingredients through its Inside Our Products website. This month, the company expanded on this practice by encouraging consumers to ask the brand researchers questions about the origins of products. The brand also announced its commitment to eliminate any contributing ingredients to deforestation by 2030.

5. Nature Valley

Nature Valley premiered an ad centered around its shift toward recyclable packaging, announcing a plan to make its Crunchy bar wrappers store drop-off recyclable. On top of that, the brand has the goal of making all its packaging 100 percent recyclable by 2025.

Aside from Hershey's sustainability plans and designers using materials that are better for the planet, what other big moves have you seen companies make this month? Head to our Instagram and let us know!