Companies Are Making the Effort, and Soon You Can Actually Believe Them.

Have any of you bought SunChips in the past year? Have you noticed that the bags are really crinkly? Well, here's a video from the Wall Street Journal back in August:


This video represents a sentiment expressed by a large number of SunChips consumers. Not surprisingly, the bags managed to get themselves a Facebook fan club titled, "Sorry but I can't hear you over this Sun Chips bag," which boasts over 44,000 members.

So, why exactly would Frito-Lay create a bag that makes so much noise? To be environmentally friendly. They claim that their new packaging biodegrades in only 14 weeks. You have no idea how amazing this sounds to me. One of the ESW groups I'm a part of goes to Portobelo, Panama to work on wastewater issues and to teach sustainability. I can't imagine how much cleaner the town would be if their packaging waste simply degraded over time. There would be a lot less of this:

Trash in the creek near the septic tank in Portobelo, Panama

It's something we don't appreciate as much in the US because litter isn't really a problem.

It's no wonder that Frito-Lay decided to take these bags off the market.

I'll check for the bags next time I'm at the grocery store, but if you happen to get your hands on one, eat your chips and pass the bag on to me. I want to test these "compostable" bags on my worms. If they really do what they claim, then I'll be very impressed.

Note: The biodegradable bag is still available for SunChips - Original Flavor.
Where's the news?  *Eco-labeling*

Well, do you remember this? A gasoline-powered alarm clock. A feather duster space heater. Energy Star labels.



There are hundreds of "eco-labels" floating around the market, and various companies are making countless claims that their products are "biodegradable", "made with renewable energy", and "use 20% less packaging". 20% less packaging than what? The Federal Trade Commission plans to ensure that these "biodegradable" products are actually biodegradable. If not, they say, "we're going to go after them." They're in the process of a long overdue revision of their "Green Guides", which were last updated in 1998. Once finished, the revisions will hopefully give teeth to the soft consequences felt by today's offending companies.