Biodegradable Compostable SunChip Bags

I picked up a bag of Sun Chips the other day to get a look at the new ‘eco’ packaging that has been the focal point of their marketing campaign and the centerpiece of the ‘greening’ of the brand. The new bag is ’100 percent compostable’ and is estimated to fully decompose in 14 days. Brilliant, right? To have a biodegradable plant-based packaging particularly considering the enormous amount of packaging waste in this country. Then, I read the side of the bag where it says in tiny print bag must be composted to biodegrade. I am sure there are some numbers out there about the number of households that actually compost, and even those that do may not have read the fine print about throwing your wrapper in the compost instead of in the trash which we are so programmed to do. I admit, I’d thrown some of these very bags into the trash and I compost. I just didn’t realize you were supposed to compost it, I never read the fine print. So what happens to a Sun Chip bag that ends up in the trash? I am afraid it’s far worse than you’d think.

According to an article on the DailyThread by Emily GoldstoneJuly 16, 2010 Written by Emily Goldstone, the downside of the compostable bags is:

Some critics have noted that composting a SunChips bags is an impractical task, as most consumers do not compost. According to EPI, in a landfill these bags will biodegrade anaerobically, producing more powerful greenhouse gases than with a conventional bag. Instead, if they end up end being processed in a recycling facility, they could contaminate other plastics.

For those who do compost, consider this: PLA decomposes at over 125 degrees Fahrenheit; some say most backyard compost piles don’t come anywhere near that temperature.

So, yes it’s a absolutely a step in the right direction, if done correctly. This new packaging would reduce petroleum use and green house gases. But we worry that most consumers will just drop the bag in the trash which will create even more greenhouse gases than traditionally bags. We just hope consumers will eat responsibly……