In its new Corporate Responsibility Report, Lenexa, Kan.-based Hostess Brands Inc. focuses on how its actions impact people, product and the planet.

People

Hostess announced its new partnership with the National Alliance on Mental Illness (NAMI) in September 2022 to emphasize the importance of mental health resources for all employees and its commitment to becoming a stigma-free workplace. Hostess’ employees helped raise awareness and financial support for NAMI by participating in local NAMIWalks, convening employee events with NAMI experts that focused on reducing the stigma of mental health conditions in the workplace, and mental health challenges specific to active members of the military, veterans and their families.

Product

In 2022, Hostess joined the Children’s Food & Beverage Advertising Initiative (CFBAI) and pledged not to advertise to children under the age of 13. This year, the company is partnering with SeeHer, whose mission is to increase the representation and accurate portrayal of all women and girls in marketing, media and entertainment to reflect culture and transform society. All seven Hostess Brands facilities have been audited by the British Retail Consortium Global Standards (BRCGS) and have received AA certifications in the most recent announced audits. Going forward, the company has set a goal of an A+ or higher grade during its BRCGS unannounced audits, a Global Food Safety Initiative (GFSI) benchmarked certification standard, for 2023.

Planet

The company continues a positive trend across its Carbon Disclosure Project (CDP) scores. In 2022, the company was above the North American industry average for water and climate for a second year in a row. Over the last three years, Hostess Brands has reduced normalized water consumption by 18%, and, in 2023, will roll out new initiatives in an effort to continue to reduce normalized water consumption across its facilities. Hostess continues to evolve its corporate responsibility roadmap while looking at how it can provide a positive impact through packaging life cycle management. In 2022, the company removed 1 million pounds of material from packaging. Additionally, all of the company’s folding cartons and corrugated packaging was recyclable.