Soon, the bag containing the chips could disappear as fast as the chips themselves. Well, ok, maybe not as fast, but at least they could be composted if Frito Lay has their way.
Concerned about their environmental image, the snack-food giant has announced plans to begin selling Sun Chips in eco-friendly bags, starting next month.
With a name that already has a distinct ‘natural’ ring to it (hint: think ’sun’) the routine will be simple: Simply eat the chips, then toss the packaging into your backyard composter or your municipal green bin.
It appears clear that consumer voices have played a big role in the move to compostable packaging. Who can argue that snack foods are highly popular and widely consumed on a daily, if not hourly, basis? Perhaps not wanting to feel the double guilt of wolfing down an entire bag of chips and damaging the environment as well, Helmi Ansari of Frito Lay concedes: “Every time consumers talk to us and engage with us, they ask us: ‘Oh, what about your packaging?’ ”
Consumer outcries led to responses from bottled water companies who countered with bottles made from recycled plastic or by using less plastic. But this is different. Frito Lay claims their new packaging, made of sugars derived from corn, will be the first chip bag the world has seen that is completely compostable.
At what better way to get the message out and gain maximum publicity than airing TV commercials during the Superbowl? Many of us just may be snacking on Sun Chips at the time.
The new bags will not feel as soft as traditional plastic packaging, but will break down completely after about 14 weeks in a municipal style compost, or a little longer in backyard ones. Some experts, though, raise concerns. They worry consumers may get confused and start to throw all chip bags in the green bin. They also point out that many municipalities remove ‘plastic’ bags from the compost, meaning the compostable bags would end up in a landfill where they don’t belong.
Still, it’s a far cry from standard chip bags which are made from a combination of foil and plastic and are next to impossible to recycle. Frito Lay packaging researcher, Brad Rodgers, sums it up: “The consumer gets to eat the product and the Earth gets to eat the bag, and I think that’s pretty cool.”
Since Sun Chips are made from whole grains, and the packaging will be made of compostable material, there’s less guilt all around.
Want more? Check out these related posts:
In the context of today’s world, ‘consuming’ and ‘balance’ in the same sentence seems to be an oxymoron.
on 
on 
on 
on