Unveiled this past Earth Day, FritoLay is making steps towards being more environmentally conscious. But is it really making a difference? The new Sunchips bags are made entirely of Polylactic Acid (PLA), a corn based material used in place of traditional petroleum dependent plastics. Compared to conventional plastics, plant based plastics are significantly less petroleum-rich, processing is not entirely carbon “neutral.” Although, PLA, unlike regular plastics is able to completely decompose after usage.
Composting is a method to reduce waste by returning nutrients back into soil and is being implemented on household and industrial scales. On Virginia Tech’s campus,
leftover food scraps from Owens Food Court and the Southgate Processing Facility are composted through nearby Floyd county’s Poplar Manor Enterprises. It is reported that Virginia Tech is diverting nearly 8 tons of food waste per week. Once completely decomposed, Tech will use the compost on Dining Services’ own farm.FritoLay certified their 100% compostable chip bags through the Biodegradable Products Institute(BPI). Through BPI, Sunchips was able to certify their bags as approved to be compostable “in large professionally managed facilities.” According to BPI’s website, home compost heaps are not able to appropriately decompose Frito Lays’ Sunchip bags, due to necessary temperature levels to complete the bag’s biodegradation.
In FritoLay’s compostable bag campaign, it is suggested that the bag can decompose easily in a backyard pile. This is just not true. When dealing with the science of composting, it is important to keep in mind the main environmental factors that assist in natural decomposition. These include availability to air, moisture, along with a myriad of other macro and microorganisms. Most of these characteristics are not found in municipal solid waste facilities, or landfills. Landfills for the most part are kept dry and free of oxygen meaning that decomposition cannot take place in landfills. According to The Garbage Project in South Carolina, given 15 years in a landfill, pastries were still recognizable, grass clippings still green, and newspaper clippings were easily identifiable. This gives reason to believe that SunChips bags ending up in landfills are not decomposing in 14 weeks as suggested by FritoLay.
Although there is no doubt that Frito Lays’ intentions are in the right place, I think this situation proves the need for further policies on waste reduction and diversion. If composting facilities became more standardized across the country, these bags would more effectively reduce waste tonnage.
It seems that you may have made an error in your understanding. Composting is not the same thing as placing something in a landfill. When you compost different gasses are released, it takes less time and it is better for the environment. Simply placing something into a landfill is not composting. It has as much to do with what is put in as with the process that it is done. As far as Frito Lays bags, I do believe it is possible for them to make a bag that would be able to be compostable. If they use primarily natural products such as paper, and eliminated plastics and foils, it might be possible.
ReplyDeleteAccording to the people at Sun Chips (http://www.sunchips.com/resources/pdf/sunchips_bags.pdf), the bags don't indeed degrade in anaerobic conditions. This is something of a positive, as they at least won't emit methane like some other products would.
ReplyDeleteThere are other trade-offs being made for these bags. Let's not forget the role of noise pollution. In creating compostable bags, Frito Lay's scientists also created bags that, at the lightest rustle, generate between 70 and 80 decibel crinkling booms. It's patently absurd!
I think the most profound issue here is false advertising. Consumers believe they are purchasing something that is environmentally friendly, but the majority of people don't have access to appropriate composting facilities. They now think that they can simply toss their empty bag in their backyard, which according to your research is polluting - the bags are compostable, not biodegradable. Even if they would degrade in home composting systems, the majority of American citizens don't have these systems, let alone access to a larger community composting site. Sun Chips has clearly made an effort to become more "green," though without any real and effective results the campaign is in vain, using and eco-friendly stamp as an attempt to increase sales.
ReplyDeleteI agree the FritoLays is definitely using a means of false advertising. Also, the corn based materials used for the packaging may be very inexpensive, but it can hurt other economies. FritoLays should have spent more time perfecting their bags before putting it on the market because the environment is a big deal, and false advertising such as that will only prove harmful and could potentially start a trend.
ReplyDeleteIt's interesting that many people see composting to being almost the same as a landfill. I think there's this push economically for "going green". Many companies are coming up with gimmicks and ways of advertising their products to the public more for making a sale then for trying to do something good for the environment.
ReplyDeleteThis is capitalism at its worst. As much as I love SunChips, this really is almost embarrassing to them. Why spend so much money on something that really will have next to nothing of a positive effect on the environment. Hopefully FritoLay will spend there money in other areas, such as "green-izing" their factory before they set out on another way to scam many american people.
ReplyDeleteIt bothers me that SunChips would misrepresent their product. I'm sure that someone has thrown one of those bags out of their window thinking that it will decompose. I never realized there was so much to composting. I agree with you that SunChips intentions are in the right place, but maybe they should add a disclaimer to the bottom of that commercial saying to compost the bag.
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