Our Progress Toward a Compostable SunChips Bag

As a child in the early 1950s, I loved to watch a science program on our black and white TV called Watch Mr. Wizard.  I was never very good at science, and eventually turned my career focus to Law and Marketing. 

But, my interest in science still exists. So, I asked Brad Rodgers, Manager for Sustainable Packaging at Frito-Lay, to help explain today’s article in USA Today and the announcement we made about the new SunChips large bag packaging -- which totes a new impressive message in the upper right hand corner: 

"RENEWABLE MATERIALS MAKE UP 33% OF THIS PACKAGE"

I previously wrote how "Packaging Scorecards are Improving," and discussed conventional methods to reduce packaging waste. But I also mentioned that there was a new technology on the horizon that would revolutionize the packaging industry -- and we’re starting to use it in SunChips bags.

"The packaging innovation is based on technology that has been around for thousands of years -- since man first began fermenting barley with yeast to make beer," Brad says.  "Packaging film is made out of carbon.  Today that carbon comes from petroleum, which is a non-renewable resource and is not biodegradable.  The new technology converts plant-based sugar carbon into packaging film, replacing the petroleum.  So, we get the benefit of using a renewable source, carbon, and yielding a compostable result, the new film." Brad said. 

Frito-Lay partnered with Nature Works, who developed the biotechnology and has built a plant in Nebraska to manufacture the plant-based sugar carbon into packaging film, to convert their science into a large-scale commercial application.  And, SunChips is our first product to start using the new film.

Brad explained how 33 percent of the package is compostable by describing the package itself.  Frito-Lay packaging film has three layers -- an outer layer that has the printing on it, an inner layer that keeps the product fresh and a glue layer in-between the two.  Our first step to a fully compostable bag was to convert that outer layer (print layer) into to material made with sugar carbon. 

We’ve spent four years of intense development time working with Nature Works to reach this point," Brad told me. "But now that we’ve achieved the first step, we can move more quickly and to conquer the three remaining steps,” Brad said. 

• First: convert all three layers of the SunChips bag to the new film; and launch a fully compostable bag in 2010;

• Second: ramp-up industry capacity to apply the new technology to the rest of our packaging;

• Third: Find more efficient sources for the sugar, currently made from corn.  For example an acre of sugar cane produces 5-7 times more sugar than an acre of corn does.

You'll see an ad in People Magazinethis month that is a sample of the fully compostable bag, which is set to launch on Earth Day 2010.

I learned a lot from Brad as we discussed the new SunChips packaging. Unlike me, Brad has always been good at science.  While Mr. Wizard was before his time, he admits to being influenced by the movie The Graduate in picking a career as a polymer chemist -- and fondly remembers the one word career advice given to Dustin Hoffman, "plastics."
 
And, Brad’s son is following in his footsteps and studying food science in college, with a focus on agriculture and fermentation.   Maybe someday he'll join Frito-Lay and help us to continue our commitment to conserving and preserving our planet with other new technology breakthroughs. 

View a brief video that illustrates the SunChips compostable bag, coming on Earth Day 2010:

Comments

[Candyman99]

I understand that the type of "plastic" that is Natureworks needs an industrial compost process that gets to very high temperatures to break down. The ad on TV that shows the bag turning into nothing is therefore not reality. Would love your perspective.

[Aurora Gonzalez, Frito-Lay PR]

Re: Candymann99; I'm happy to share some additional thoughts. When it's 100% compostable, the SunChips' packaging will fully decompose in a hot, active compost pile. It doesn't need to be industrial -- home composting piles will do the trick. However for the packaging to decompose in the 14 week timeframe the compost pile needs to be properly maintained. Thanks for your comment.

[Maxine Sheehan]

I love sun chips and the fact that Frito Lay is trying to go green with packaging. However, when I bought a bag, I felt like I was hearing fingernails on a chalk board. The material is soooo noisey whenever the bag is touched or moved that it has become quite irritating to me. It is so noisey to me that I am unwilling to continue buying the chips. Keep working on the product, there must be a better one out there somewhere!

[Jennifer]

I really applaud your effort to make a compostable bag. However, myself and everyone I've met who has touched the bag, find it to be extremely loud. It is so irritating that I have to immediatly put the chips in a zipper top bag or other container. I just thought you would want to know that.

[Kathy]

The bag is a great idea and kudos for getting it this far. But the noise problem is pretty severe. Keep trying! I love my Sun Chips!

[Paul]

WAY too loud, this bag is. I actually went the extra mile for you and measured the sound with an SPL meter. Guess what I found? At 1 meter away, opening the bag actually generates around 76db. That's way too loud for comfortable snacking. Not buying them again until this is sorted out. My wife banned me from eating Sun Chips now, and this makes us fight uncontrollably. Thanks.

[Steve Z]

This new packaging and the ad campaign for it are ridiculous. The packaging is so obnoxious I will not buy them even though I think the product is very good. Admit the mistake...take your lumps and move on. The environmental impact of Sunchip bags is essentially zero...go back to the drawing board on this one. You will lose more customers than you will gain...I don't buy a product for it's packaging but will stop because of it.

[Kristin]

We're really proud of our work with the compostable bag, so thanks for the kudos! Our new 100% compostable bag is a first generation and the SunChips R&D team will be evaluating the your feedback to improve and refine the packaging further in the future. We know this is just the first step but hope our consumers will appreciate the environmental benefit. If you want to learn more about the compostable bag, you can try www.SunChips.com for details on the role it plays in our sustainable journey. Thanks, everyone, for your comments!

[Joe]

Too loud! Will probably buy less because of it.

[Mrs L]

Our family finds the noisy bag funny! No way to sneak snacks, for one thing! And it's like a great big loud announcement of your product at the store. Just want you to know there are some of us who rattle the bag with pride and laughter - maybe there's an ad campaign in there - "the SOUND of PROGRESS". We will gladly put up with the noise for a fully compostable snack bag. Glad to hear you are keeping it for the original flavor and we will keep buying it. In fact I choose it over other chips now because of the bag.

[Kristin]

Thanks, Mrs L! We appreciate the support and thank all our fans who value sustainability and understand we're working hard to develop our next generation compostable bag. Happy snacking -- noisy or not! - Kristin

[Chipsinabowl]

Pour your chips in a bowl people! Problem fixed.
Sad to see such a forward thinking endevour fall to the all mighty dollar. I bought your product because of the bag, now I will not.

[Sarah W.]

I was so thrilled that you had made the "green" bag. I have now just read however that you are going back to the original bag, the non-biodegradeable bag, because people were complaining about it being "noisy"?! I can't believe it! Who cares if it's noisy? It's saving the planet. Chips are noisy, the bags no matter what they're made of are nosiy, chewing them is noisy, if you don't want noise, choose a softer snack, like cake. I hope and pray that this won't actually happen. Frito Lay needs to keep up the good green work not allow the entire planet to suffer because the bag is noisy.

[Kristin]

Sarah W and 'Chipsinabowl' - We totally understand your perspectives and are not giving up! We are committed to finding an environmentally-friendly packaging solution that our fans like too. SunChips Original flavor will stay in the compostable bag while we work on the new, quieter version. Thanks for your comments!

[R. Gebhardt]

I for one am disappointed that Frito Lay would cave in to the likes of people who would dare to complain that a crispy snack chip is in a "noisy" bag. How ridiculous! I could not believe my ears as I listened to Brian Williams, of NBC News, going on and on, comparing the bag as being louder than jet engines and more decibels than rock music. Ridiculous! The mear idea that people would complain about an environmentally compostable bag as being loud, is petty, trifling and shallow. I am heart-sick and dismayed as to the condition of the people of America, ones who would prefer a nice quiet snack bag (which is a ridiculous concept, since the chips are noisy.)over an environmentally responsible "noisy" bag. RIDICULOUS!!!!!!

[Katy Scott]

I was SO excited when this compostable chip bag came out. In fact, Sunchips (garden salsa) are the ONLY chips I will buy, in large part because I know the bag won't remain in a landfill for years and years. I buy a new bag every time I head to the grocery store, and I'm always proud to pull my bag out at work or social gatherings.

When I heard today that the bags will no longer be used because they're "too loud," I became incredibly angry. Are you kidding me? If Sunchips sticks with this packaging, people will get used the sound of the bag and, before long, all chip bags will use the same technology. The health of our species and our planet is so much more important than the sound of a friggin' chip bag!

I'm extremely disheartened by this sudden change in Sunchips' strategy. I can't believe you couldn't stick with this bag for at least a year, given the overall environmental importance.

Frito-Lays has just lost a very loyal consumer.

[Kristin]

Hi, Katy. I hope you'll give us the chance to bring an even better "green" bag to market -- we're busy working on it now. And, we're still very committed to sustainable packaging and keeping SunChips Original in the compostable bag until a less noisy, but environmentally-friendly, bag is ready for all flavors. I appreciate your passion and thanks for sharing your thoughts.

[Bernard Stillwagon]

Frito Lay - please don't give up on the bag. The people that complain about the bag are probably throwing their plastic bottles in the trash still. I love Sun Chips and was so happy with the compostable bags.

[Jude Jett]

We bought them for the new bag and will continue to do so. If you go back to the original packaging we will not.
There are probably more people who PREFER the benefit to the planet then those who don't know how to put chips in a bowl!