Original Flavor SunChips' Compostable Packaging is "Greening the World One Bag at a Time."

My first purchase of FritoLay's SunChips introduced me to "green" snack packaging with its eco-friendly noisy, compostable bag.

I like to grocery shop early on Sunday afternoons because that's the time my local Publix has those little tables set up throughout the store, staffed with nice people giving away free food samples and coupons.

Often if we take advantage of the samples, we can have a nice little meal before we get to the end of our shopping, and won't have to rush and make lunch as soon as we get home.

Sampling SunChips

On a recent shopping trip as I approached the snack isle, there was a friendly woman working at one of those sampling tables handing out vitamin water drinks in tiny paper cups along with a variety of FritoLay SunChips served on tiny paper plates.

The woman had no customers, and I could see why. The chips had that card boardy, brownish gold, whole grainey, good- for- you look about them. She caught my eye and I took a sample. She also gave me a coupon, for BOGO...buy one, get one free.

The chips were OK...not too bad. They were stored next to a row of Tostidos' Quesco (cheese) dip, which looked delicious. My son decided that the SunChips plus the dip would make a good snack while he watched a pay-for-view movie. We had that coupon. so we added the 2 bags of SunChips and the Quesco dip to our purchases and went home.

SunChips' Compostable Bag

The chips plus the dip were OK, but it was the bag that attracted my attention. The bag makes a loud crackling noise if you touch it... not a good thing if you want to sneak a snack. Wording on the bag describes the noise as "Louder, because it's compostable."

Compostable means that the SunChip bag breaks down completely after just 14 weeks in a home hot compost bin or in an industrial compost pile. The bag is made of renewable plant based material (polyactic acid, PLA.) It was presented to the public as the country's First 100% Compostable Chip Bag on Earth Day, April 22, this year.

The company in California that makes the chips operates on solar power, literally putting the "sun" in SunChips.

Composting isn't too popular yet but FritoLay has information on composting at www.SunChips.com.

Would I recommend SunChips? Sure I would. The chips are OK, and with the dip they're even better. They are a tasty snack and FritoLay's heart is in the right place. The empty SunChips bag is perfect for the home composter and just might be the bag of the future.

Nutrition Information...30% less fat than regular potato chips.......140 calories in 16 chips, 0 gm. trans fat and cholesterol, 5 grams of saturated fat, 120gm sodium, 3 gm fiber, 19 grams of carbohydrate.... soy, lactose, MSG, additive and onion free.... 18 grams of multigrain, and contains a wheat ingredient warning for those watching their gluten intake.

Sources:

SunChips bag.

Personal experience

http://www.fritolay.com/our-snacks/sunchips.html

http://www.fastcompany.com/1585398/sunchips-rolls-out-first-100-compostable-?q=1585+398+sun+chips+rolls+out+first+100+compostable+c%E2%80%A6