One step forward, two steps back

I'm REALLY disappointed that Frito-Lay caved in on their compostable SunChips bags!

So what if the bag is a bit noisier than what people are used to?  What??? The bag wakes up a roommate?  Ummm maybe they shouldn't be eating that late at night, it's not all that healthy to begin with!  So stop sneaking snacks in the middle of the night...problem solved! OR pour some chips into a bowl and then eat them!  Do roommates also complain about the FZZSTTTT of the soda or beer can being popped open?   Do we need silencers for cans?  Or the clickety clickety of the laptop keyboard or texting? 

Consumers are so fickle, that they won't buy a product they like due to packaging?  Well, it's too bad because Frito-Lay WAS at the forefront of changing consumer's thoughts and attitudes towards packaging.  And just think, they had responded to consumer demand for more eco-friendly sustainable packaging!  I for one, was a huge fan of the compostable bags.  I didn't care one bit that they were noisier because I knew that after we'd finished the yummy, crunchy chips, the bag would not litter a landfill, and to me that's more important than the crunch of the bag.  In fact, I got a kick out of adding it to our compost, crinkle and all!

Wasteful, landfill clogging packaging in general drives me CRAZY,  which was why I was so happy to be able to compost the Sun Chips bag.  It's time that companies become more responsible for more sustainable packaging, more eco-friendly processing, and become environmental stewards and good examples for consumers.

Personally, I believe laws are needed to push companies to create sustainable packaging.  Without a push, most companies take the cheaper, easier, petroleum-dependent-plastic way out.  If Frito-Lay hadn't caved in, would consumers get used to the bag?  I think their products could stand up to the complaints and they'd still profit because it's the product that consumers are buying to eat, and their products are good.

To their credit, Frito-Lay says they are developing the next generation of biodegradable bags.   And I'll be sure to let you know what I think of it when it finally arrives on the market!  Until then, I'll still be pushing for more responsible, eco-friendly, sustainable packaging and buying the original Sun Chips which will still have the compostable bag  :)


http://www.usatoday.com/money/industries/food/2010-10-05-sunchips05_ST_N.htm

Packaging pet Peeve

Ok, I guess I'm peeved about packaging overall!  

There is sooo much waste involved in packaging, and honestly I think other consumers are annoyed with the excessive packaging as well.  Most of the packaging is plastic, and that comes from oil, which is of course a non-renewable resource and our oil dependence is ridiculous as is.  I wonder how many pounds per person per year is wasted on packaging...and I'm willing to bet a majority of that packaging is overfilling the landfills and eventually leaching all kinds of toxic nasties into the groundwater and soil.  

I will admit that I am anal about recycling the plastic and cardboard bits, but honestly some of the plastic packaging doesn't have a symbol on it, and I put it in the the recycle bin anyway since our recycling company takes plastics 1-7.  I've begun making a bit of a pest of myself contacting the company when I'm uncertain about things such as the inner cereal box bags....can I recycle it without clogging up the system?  If not, then perhaps my next step will be to contact the cereal companies to tell them my concerns.  And why not?  In the last month or so, I've researching sustainable packaging and sustainable packaging coalitions.  I've also been contacting other companies to let them know if their product has too much unnecessary packaging, and to let them know about alternatives that are less toxic (eco foam), and the benefits of less packaging such as less shipping costs.  Who knows, maybe my pet peeve about packaging will somehow make a difference? 

TRASH TALKIN

It is becoming increasingly clear to me that packaging is a large part of everyone's trash.  

Since my family already recycles glass, metal, aluminum, plastics, and paper, and we compost as well, the "trash" that is left often seems to me like it should be able to be recycled.  For example, Styrofoam packing blocks and peanuts...

Recently when I contacted our recycling company about several items, they told me they did not take some things even though they have the proper recycling symbol and number.  I found out that even though large blocks of packing Styrofoam have the proper number stamped on it, they do not take it in the recycling bins because when crushed it flies out the back of the truck.   Similarly, they do not take packaging peanuts for the same reason.  Traditional Styrofoam blocks and packing peanuts are made of polystyrene, a non-biodegradable material which clogs up landfills. I've seen statistics stating that about 200 million cubic feet of polystyrene packaging is used every year in the United States.  What a WASTE!

Personally, I hate packing peanuts because there are better alternatives that are not such a static-y nuisance.  Have you ever tried cleaning up after unpacking something packed in Styrofoam blocks or Styrofoam peanuts?  Sticks to everything including the vacuum...I'm all for reusing them if they are already out there, or recycling them (but my recycling company won't take them, will yours?), but why make more?  I have been told that places like UPS stores will gladly take Styrofoam peanuts off your hands and reuse them (why not accept free supplies that they use and normally have to buy).

I like the more eco-friendly "eco foam" peanuts.  These are made from corn and potato starch, which is a renewable resource, and can even be dissolved in water without polluting pollute ground water.  Another positive attribute of eco foam is that it is a wicked fun, nontoxic craft and/or building material with kids.  If you dab a foam piece onto a wet sponge or paper towel, the moisture causes the foam to make its own "glue."  Just press and hold one piece to another piece, count to five to "set." Wet and stick more pieces and keep going. Using the "dab-and-stick" technique, you can create endless shapes, animals, jewelry, build structures, your imagination is the limit.  Here's a link for eco foam  http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B001H5Y1NE?ie=UTF8&tag=allinfoabo03e-20&linkCode=as2&camp=1789&creative=9325&creativeASIN=B001H5Y1NE

So, if versatile sustainable eco foam packaging is available, why oh why would people use Styrofoam packing peanuts and clog landfills?   Given the fact that there ARE sustainable options for packaging, perhaps for the good of the Earth, Styrofoam peanuts should be banned?  Just sayin...