HERSHEY, Pa. -- The Hershey Co. is introducing redesigned packaging for its chocolate brands with simplicity and sustainability in mind.
According to a report on FoodNavigator-USA.com, the new display-ready cases are intended to be simpler and easier to ship and set up in the store, said Greg Gressel, director of disruptive supply chain for Hershey.
The one-piece design features an easy-open window with no perferation and no center divider, along with new print and digital design, according to the FoodNavigator report.
The cases were tested in Wal-Marts during the Halloween and holiday seasons. Gressel said it took store employees about 62% less time to open and set up the new cases.
The Hershey, Pa.-based chocolate and candy manufacturer may be taking a cue from discount retailers such as Aldi, where products are shelved in their shipping cartons, which reduces store labor, according to a report on FoodDive.com.
Shelf-ready cases also make the store look more organized and provide space for promotions and callouts on the cases themselves, wrote FoodDive.
Hershey’s new packaging is also easier on the environment. The cases are made with 100% recycled materials and required 32% less corrugate (or 3.12 million fewer pounds) during the 2016 holiday seasons vs. the year before, Gressel said.
The more eco-friendly packaging is part of a broader sustainability push by Hershey. In 2015, the company was among 150 others to sign the American Business Act on Climate Pledge, vowing to reduce their impact on the environment. In 2016, the company set its "25 by 25" goal to reduce greenhouse-gas emissions, water use, waste and packaging by 25% by 2025.
Gressel told FoodNavigator that Hershey hopes to reduce packaging materials by 13 million pounds by the end of 2017.
Members help make our journalism possible. Become a CSP member today and unlock exclusive benefits, including unlimited access to all of our content. Sign up here.