Hershey has outlined a series of new sustainability targets as part of its move to join the American Business Act on Climate Pledge, an initiative drawn up by the Obama administration to "demonstrate support for action on climate change".

The Reese's maker set out goals in areas including greenhouse gas emissions, waste and water use. It was among a clutch of food companies – including Nestle, Mars and Kellogg – to join the pledge, which was launched in July with PepsiCo and Cargill in the initial participants.

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It pledged to reduce greenhouse gas emissions by 50% by 2025, compared to a 2009 baseline. Hershey said the commitment built on the 23% reduction it had achieved. Eleven of facilities do not send waste to landfill and the US confectionery giant said it wanted all its sites to get to that position in 2025. The company also plans to reduce absolute water use by an additional 25% over the next decade. It has cut its water use by 70% since 2009.

Hershey announced two other goals for 2025: to save an additional 25 million pounds of packaging material and improve its company-wide recycling rate to 95% by 2025, up from our 2009 baseline of 72%.

"These are all new commitments as we are looking out further than we ever have before. In the past, we have set forward-looking environmental commitments for five years into the future," a Hershey spokesperson said.

Announcing their participation in the pledge, Nestle, Mars, Kellogg and General Mills set out ways they are looking to alleviate their impact on the environment, which they had already announced in recent quarters.

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