Berkshire Bank Achieves Sustainability Milestone

Paper Usage Drops 15%

PITTSFIELD, MA, – As the country celebrates Earth Day on April 22, Berkshire Bank, America's Most Exciting Bank^®, is excited to announce that they have exceeded the first of their sustainability objectives through AMEB Green, a corporate initiative to become a more environmentally sustainable company. The company, committed to reducing paper consumption by 10% by 2018, surpassed that mark reducing usage by 15% a full year earlier than projected.

AMEB Green is focused on results that will impact Berkshire's social, environmental and financial performance by engaging employees and customers in environmentally conscious behaviors. The Bank has completed more than thirty green initiatives since the launch of the effort in 2015, including the standardization of double-sided printing and the elimination of disposable paper products in offices. The company also implemented energy-saving enhancements, recycling and environmental standards all of which contributed to 32% of office products coming from recycled sources as well as 228,000 pounds of paper being recycled annually. In addition, eStatement usage by customers increased 21% since 2015 as more customers chose more secure and environmentally conscious ways of conducting their business.

The AMEB Green initiative was originally spurred by employee suggestions and was developed by a cross-functional committee that looked at policies, products, operations and behaviors to identify goals and key steps to become a more environmentally sustainable company.

"We believe by embedding a culture of responsibility into our business model, we can drive positive change for our communities," stated Gary Levante, Assistant Vice President for Community Engagement. "Our commitment to environmental sustainability builds on our history of philanthropy and employee engagement. The results thus far speak to our strategic approach to sustainability, focusing only on those initiatives that improve efficiency, reduce expenses and enhance our environmental impact."

Additional information about the company's sustainability commitment, including ways customers can leverage bank products and services to become more environmentally conscious, can be found at www.berkshirebank.com/sustainability

About Berkshire Bank Foundation

Through foundation grants to nonprofits, scholarships to students, environmental programs, and employee volunteerism, Berkshire Bank is making a difference. Each year the Foundation donates $2 million to nonprofits throughout the Bank's footprint and 100% of bank employees provide over 40,000 hours of service through their XTEAM^® corporate volunteer program. Berkshire Bank was named one of Massachusetts' Most Charitable Companies by the Boston Business Journal in 2016. To learn more about Berkshire Bank Foundation, visit www.berkshirebank.com/community.

About Berkshire Bank

Berkshire Hills Bancorp (NYSE: BHLB) is the parent of Berkshire Bank, America's Most Exciting Bank®. The Company, recognized for its entrepreneurial approach and distinctive culture, has $9.2 billion in assets and 97 full service branch offices in Massachusetts, New York, Connecticut, Vermont, New Jersey and Pennsylvania providing personal and business banking, insurance, and wealth management services. To learn more, visit www.berkshirebank.com, call 800-773-5601 or follow us on: Facebook, Twitter, and LinkedIn. Berkshire Bank is the official bank of NESN's Boston Bruins coverage and the community partner of Boston Season at City Hall Plaza.