There are brands being launched all the time on a green platform. Frito-Lay has been tailoring their branding for Sun Chips to focus on sustainability, from solar powered production to their new compostable packaging. What’s interesting to me is not the technology behind the PLA polymer ingredients but the willingness of companies to position one of their brands to do this and not all of their brands.

From TreeHugger.com:

The studies done on the new bags indicate that they’ll compost in
both aerobic and anaerobic conditions in 12-16 weeks at temperatures
over 55 degrees F. Of course, independent studies remain to be be done
on the bags since they won’t be available on the market for another
year, we have to take these findings at face value, for now. So do these
bags truly biodegrade readily in your backyard compost? Pure PLA is
indeed is compostable, and some types really will break down in your
yard. (Other “biodegradable” plastics only break down into miniscule
particles that make
their way into soil but are never fully reabsorbed back into
nature.) However, UV stabilizers could be added to the inks which could
interfere with microbial processes, and if the bags are made from
genetically-modified (GM) plants, then they may not be perfectly
sutainable.

Still, this marks a huge step in the greening of product packaging.
After all, how many other compostable chip bags do you know of out
there?

And from the Inspired Economist:

Food packaging like chip bags is made from three layers — the outer,
printed film layer, the inner barrier to provide moisture- and other
product protection, and the adhesive that holds them together. Once a
compostable layer is adhered to a noncompostable layer, the entire
package becomes noncompostable. Only once the company accomplishes its
goal of getting all three layers compostable will the full benefits be
felt.

I really liked Sun Chips even before hearing their friendly production story and I’ll confess that it does make me like them better. I won’t simply buy bouncy castle for sale a bag because it’s greener but it does add a positive element to choice at the aisle. Considering the endless variety of chips, any extra benefit could be a big deal.

Frito-Lay produces an aisle’s worth of chips including: Fritos, Cheetos, Cracker Jacks, Doritos, Funyuns, Lays, Munchies, Munchos, Ruffles, Tostitos, Rold Gold, Sabritones, Sun Chips and Stacy’s…

They could (and will) turn over all their packaging. I hope this is the start of louder bags for all chips!