I’m thrilled to be kicking off Earth Month by partnering with Sun Chips to present the world’s first 100% compostable chip bag. In an effort to take a large step in the right direction, Frito Lay has come up with this unique crinkly bag, which actually does compost. I’m a passionate composter – been doing it for years, and I’m just delighted that a large company such as Frito Lay is helping to encourage moms across the country to get themselves a compost bin and start turning their scraps into something useful and sustainable. Labelling of late has become a tad confusing – for example: what is the difference between “biodegradable” and “compostable” packaging? Actually quite a lot – “biodegradable” means that it will eventually break down (could take years) into smaller and smaller pieces, whereas “compostable” means that in a properly activated compost pile, the packaging will decompose and transform into a odorless, potting soil-like substance, that can be used to great effect in our gardens.
The Sun Chip bag is made out of PLA (polylactic acid), which when chucked into an active compost pile, will decompose in 14 weeks. BTW, the bag is noisy – but honestly who cares! I’d rather have a have a noisy bag than one that adds to the trash that we’ll never ever get rid off. So as far as I’m concerned the bags should be proud to be loud.
I keep a compost crock on my counter, right next to my cutting board and everyday it gets filled with everything from apple cores and egg shells, to tea bags and recipts. It’s literally one of the most satisfying daily green actions that I can take. I hate waste, and to think that all those organic peelings, coffee grounds, wilting lettuce leaves etc, are going straight back into my planters and garden, is rather thrilling.
It’s about time! Will they be replacing all of their bags with them?
Do you worry about BPA in receipts when you compost them?
I can’t speak for them, but I do know that they’ve decided to start with their SunChips brand and take it from there. Wouldn’t it be great to see their entire line of snacks packaged in compostable bags!
That would be great. Hopefully other companies will follow. I saw the commercial for these. I don’t usually eat potato chips, but I think it’s great that this company is making a difference. If I wasn’t over here in Orange County, I would be there at the Grove. The composting class I went to earlier this month did not give a demonstration.
Wow, that’s great! We love composting. I recommend a website called Organic Natural Choice. They are into green and organic. http://www.organicnaturalchoice.com
Seeing how the comments are moderated, it will be interesting to see whether this post makes it past the screeners.
In short, the bags are not nearly what they are advertised to be. I’ve been an avid composter literally for decades, and understand the process very well. Though I will admit, I do not practice optimized composing as Sun Chips did in their testing; rather I practice practical composting. I do not spend large sums of money for the fancy bins, and etc. Rather I simply pile and turn; and if dry, I will spread the pile(s) so the rain might moisten it a bit.
In 2010, I created and produced 3 very large seasonal batches with my economical approach. In April, 2010 my daughter proudly brought over a bag of Sun Chips, because of the “promoted” benefits of biodegradable bags.
Well, this story continues… not sure what I did for this to be split into 2 posts.
Being skeptical, I assisted the process by breaking down the bag into 2 to 3 inch pieces.
Long story short, I have beautiful compost just begging to amend my soil. Today, while prepping for my first new compost batch of 2011, I thoroughly turned and re-piled the 2010 batches. I noticed pieces of the 10 month old bag as I was working; and when about 80% finished with that particular batch, it hit me… this bag appears as it did in April, 2010.
It was then, after many bag pieces were already re-buried, I began setting aside pieces of the distinctive Sun Chips bag. I guessing I recovered 40-50% of the bag. And if I were obsessive about this, it would not surprise me if after tearing the pile apart, I wound find 80+% of the bag.
I’m glad I was not sucked into the Sun Chip gimmick of (non) recyclable bags.
Sure, if maybe I ridiculously spent unnecessary $$ for optimal composting conditions as Sun Chips, some activity might have occurred. However, Sun Chips setting these consumer expectations based on their expensive, optimal test parameters, is highly unreasonable.
As mentioned in the prior message, I have many years of experience composting, and easily produce enough for all my gardening needs each year. My “actual usage” testing is much more comparable to how “normal homeowners” compost than the strict guidelines Sun Chips repeatably states in their promotional web material. And based on “my real life composting” experience” where I produced beautiful material to amend my soil, I can categorically state, the only benefit of attempting to compost the Sun Chips bag, is it made my final composting product very colorful. While I made great soil, the Sun Chips bags contributed absolutely nothing.
In fact, I could very easily still read the lettering on the bag.
Bottom line, if considering to buy Sun Chips based on the practical eco-benefits of its packaging, be skeptical, very skeptical… unless of course, you have access to the resources to constantly monitor your compost to maintain optimal composting conditions such as Sun Chips. And if you do, have at it!
However, I suspect 99+% of serious, practical composters don’t.