Reese's Peanut Butter Cups (resubmission)

The little peanut butter filled delights that are Reese’s Peanut butter cups, we’re not always a subsidiary of the Hershey’s Milk Chocolate giant the world thinks of today.  In fact, they were created in 1928 by a former employee of the Hershey’s Milk Chocolate company who, after deciding he could make an even more delicious candy,  began forging the Reese’s peanut butter cup in his basement, and created the precursor to the family of Reese’s products we know today.  

    As a former dairy farmer and foreman for the Hersey company, Harry Burnett Reese used Hershey’s chocolate as the base for his treats. Of which the Peanut Butter Cups were the standout favorite.  #  The family of Reese’s products extended dramatically after the death of H.B. Reese, when it was sold to the Hershey Parent company in 1963 for $23.5 Billion.

It consists of:
   * Reese's Bar - a chocolate bar with squares of chocolate with a peanut butter filling
   * Reese's Brownies
   * Reese's Cookies
   * Reese's Cremes
   * Reese's Crispy Crunchy Bar   

    * Reese's Fast Break
   * Reese's NutRageous
   * Reese's Peanut Butter Bars
   * Reese's Peanut Butter Bites
   * Reese's Pieces
   * Reese's Pieces with Nuts
   * Reese's Puffs Cereal
   * Reese's No Bake Bars
   * Reese's Select Cluster
   * Reese's Snack Barz
   * ReeseSticks
   * Reese's Swoops
   * Reese's Whipps
   * Sweet 'n' Salty Bar
   * Reese Mini's
   * 100 Calorie Peanut Butter Wafer Bars
   * Oh Henry! bar with Reese's Peanut Butter (sold in Canada only)

  

Since Reese’s is a subsidiary of the Hershey Company, I will omit the particulars about where they get their Chocolate in favor of the environmental impacts and change the Hershey company is working towards to create a more sustainable production chain.  Though looking at the direct source is vitally important, the Global Conversation has also been concentrated around how we can decrease the impact that industrialized food has on the earth.  For context, please note the fact below:

Can you believe that? Now, imagine what that kind of production it takes to manufacture and distribute all of those little cups.
Generally, Reese’s are packaged in small paper cups and placed into larger packaging consisting of either plastic or foil.  According to the Reese’s website:

“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.”

Also, according to their 2010 Corporate Responsibility Report Card# the company has focused on four main areas to improve sustainability and social responsibility:

Marketplace

* Created stricter contract terms with global suppliers of the

commodities used in their products

* Launched a new initiative as of March 2010 to promote their “farmer education program” in Africa by partnering with local NGO’s and Governmental organizations to measure progress on sustainability efforts in the cocoa growing region

Environment
    *Developed labeling guidelines for consumer packaging to promote recycling

* Attempted to source more sustainable Palm Oil by joining the Palm Oil Roundtable in 2011 & committed to Palm Oil Sustainability Certification by 2015

* Reduced GHG Emissions by 12% in 2008- target 15% by 2011

* Reduced water consumption by 8% in 2008- target 15% by 2011

* Reduced waste by 17.4% by 2008- target 15% by 2011

* Increase waste recycling- Reese’s plant in Hershey, Pennsylvania to 91.1% of all waste recycled

* January 2011- Reese’s plant is a zero-waste-to-landfill operation

Community & Workplace
    * Increased donations
    * Increased programs to promote health & wellness
    * Top- Tier workplace safety
    * Increased diversity inclusion plans

Although all of these goals sound great, it is important to identify the language and measurements being used by the Hershey Corporation.  Though they are taking steps in the right direction to create a most sustainable enterprise that has a focus upon social corporate responsibility, it is the job of the governments and the consumer to help hold corporations to their promises.  Next time you pop a Reese’s mini in your mouth- ask yourself if you’re holding up your end of the bargain.  

 Footnotes: 

1) http://www.hersheyarchives.org/

2) http://www.hersheyarchives.org/

3) http://www.hersheys.com/reeses/experience/facts.aspx

4) http://www1.hersheys.com/social-responsibility.aspx  

Somehow- my project showed up similar to the one below- with a blank space instead of a blog post!! Looking over it to present in class today, I noticed the error & rushed to correct it.  Please excuse this tech mix-up!