New contemporary packaging for Hershey’s Miniatures Assortment officially hit retail shelves this week. Packaging for both the bags and individual pieces will have a bolder presence on shelf and in the candy bowl.

For example, the new wrappers now feature a larger version of the candy’s name that sprawls from corner to corner on the chocolates, and the font size is so big the name of each brand doesn’t fit on each miniature.

The redesign was grounded in consumer insights and retailers will be happy to know that the new Hershey’s Miniatures design has already increased purchase intent and rate among consumers [Source: Miniatures Invivo Package Testing, May 2013].

But the new packaging isn’t just pretty, it’s also more sustainable.

Each wrapper underwent a weight reduction of 0.050 grams. It might seem small, but in just one year that equated to more than 271,800 pounds of wrappers saved — enough to fill 11 tractor trailers.

Cutting down on the amount of paper used will save 1,957 trees, while cutting the aluminum use and the energy to produce it equates to turning off the electricity for one year in 56 homes.

Hershey Miniatures includes: Mr. Goodbar, Hershey Milk Chocolate,Hershey Special Dark and Hershey Krackel.

The new design is just one of the packaging sustainability projects Hershey has in the works. Thus far, more than 175 projects across three countries that have saved 14 million pounds of packaging material in just five years.

The first week in May Hershey also will release its third Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR) report, which outlines its progress against its packaging sustainability goals.

Hershey will be sharing its new packaging goal to  to reduce packaging by an additional 16 million pounds through 25 new initiatives by 2017.

The report also will unveil Hershey’s new CSR strategy grounded in its belief that strong performance begins by operating effectively and ethically.