Testing Company Claims: Are Sun Chip Bags Compostable?

[nes]

I've placed on of those lovely new Sun Chip "compostable" chip bags into my home compost - we'll see if they are telling the truth or not! Have these been available in other areas already? Has anyone else tried it?

I don't expect to get the 13 weeks they claim, but I do expect it to be gone by the end of the summer. Either way, I'm happy to have supported the idea of a compostable bag - I really hope other companies follow suite.

I also have a few glade biodegradable bags I used to gather my compost over the winter, so we'll see if those are gone by the end of summer as well .

(FYI the chip bags are incredibly noisy!!)

[Toil]

hey can you take pictures?

this is cool.

[a0c8c]

I'm sure it will, it's a paper based bag instead of a plastic based bag. they also have a plant that runs on wind and solar power.

[Toil]

oh. that's not as exciting. I was thinking of compostable plastics

[rayoflight]

You know, I was wondering why the bags were different! How awesome is that though! Now that I know that I will buy them before I buy other brands.

[gixxerific]

You know, I was wondering why the bags were different! How awesome is that though! Now that I know that I will buy them before I buy other brands.

Yes whether paper or plastic (dare I say) technologies. Those that are looking ahead should be supported, one at a time, these new ideas will take hold and make a better place for our kids, kids, kids.................! Unfortunately we are based on commerce so what sells, stays. What doesn't gets dropped, bottom line. So any time you can support a more green product that is one more tick in the gun belt.

It will be interesting to see how long it takes to become humus. Probably beat the peat pots in decomposition time.

[nes]

I'm sure it will, it's a paper based bag instead of a plastic based bag. they also have a plant that runs on wind and solar power.

I'd love to hear more about this! It seems very plastic-y to me, it must be coated with something?

It's a nice idea - but I can't really take pictures, the bag is deep in my compost pile & unearthing it weekly (or something) to take pictures would be really disturbing to the pile .

[webmaster]

...unearthing it weekly (or something) to take pictures would be really disturbing to the pile...

Aww....

I was looking forward to updates as to whether or not it composts as they claimed.

[nes]

Well I have an idea of where it is . When I go to turn my compost a little (which I'll do again in a few weeks) I'll be able to check on it. I saw it yesterday when I moved my pile a little & there was no change so far.

[iovnow]

I cut up one of these bags a month or so ago and tossed it into the compost bin. Ive been looking at this thread the last few days so I decided to turn my compost yesterday. I noticed lots of pieces of the bag are still left. While I didnt look too carefully I noticed no real deterioration of the pieces.

On another note, I did some research on this bag a few weeks ago. I don't remember where I finally got the information but I do not expect the bag to compost in most home compost bins. If I remember correctly, the bag will not even begin to break down until 130 degree's is reached. There is a good PDF on the bag on the sun chips web site.

[rayoflight]

I don't remember where I finally got the information but I do not expect the bag to compost in most home compost bins.

So they just expect it to compost in the landfill??

[Toil]

Maybe we could tag one? Radio collar?

Maybe they would make good biochar?

I am keeping an eye out for my worm bins.

[StorageSmart2]

I'd love to hear more about this! It seems very plastic-y to me, it must be coated with something?

I don't remember where I finally got the information but I do not expect the bag to compost in most home compost bins. If I remember correctly, the bag will not even begin to break down until 130 degree's is reached.

Maybe it`s the plasticy coating that`s stopping it from composting properly. I wonder if it`s actually all that environmentally friendly.

I haven`t seen these bags yet, but if it`s a paper bag that`s been coated in some type of plastic that won`t compost until a specific temperature is reached, then maybe the coating isn`t breaking down and it`s just leeching into the soil.

I wonder if they published the stats for the finished compost in their "test pile" and compared it to an exact replica compost without the bag. Also wondering if they published exactly what "ingredients" are used in the bags.

[danbert5]

For info on Sunhips compostable bags go to www.Pepsico.com click environmental sustainability. The new Sunchip bags are made from plant based renewable material and are fully compostable in a hot active compost pile

[nes]

I expect they would fully degrade in a municipal composting facility.

[csibona]

I picked up a bag of Sun Chips in the compostable bag yesterday. I'll be cutting it up into pieces and putting it in the compost. I doubt my compost tumbler gets to 130 for any sustainable time. But I look forward to the test.

[leonardochen]

This is a very interesting experiment and I definitely want to hear what happens. Can we subscribe to this topic? I'm new to the forums.
And yes, they are indeed incredibly noisy, to the point of being very annoying in fact.

Maybe Pepsico means that it takes "only" 1,000 years for the bag to compost, instead of the traditional 15,000 years.

[nes]

Well so far it's a big fat LOOSER!

I pulled the bag out of my compost yesterday & it looks exactly the same as the day I put it in there . It's been very warm but we haven't exactly reached the heat of summer yet, so I decided not to give up & threw it back right into the middle of the compost.

I haven't been able to locate those pdfs on the pepsico site.

The chips are long since gone but it's packaging is still hanging around...

I'm going to buy another bag and try throwing it into my garbage bag/weed compost attempt as that should get even hotter then the garden compost.

[soil]

I tried to compost some bags. I got like 20 of them from someone who was saving them. they do compost in time( not fast enough for me and my piles reach 160f all the time). and during that time stuff gets inside the bags and can create anaerobic pockets.

I now just say to myself, if it decomposes eventually. then its ok to send to the dump. because eventually it will decompose and become humus.

[Toil]

so basically the packaging equivalent of oak leaves.

[a0c8c]

so basically the packaging equivalent of oak leaves.

I think Oak leaves break down a little quicker, lol.

[soil]

hey whats wrong with oak leaves, they get such a bad rap but make excellent leaf mold.

[Toil]

nothing wrong with oak leaves until your woefully ignorant co-conspirators with too much experience and too little knowledge or curiosity about nature to show for it decide its a good brown for a compost pile. You know me Soil, now picture me in that situation and how diplomatic I would be. doh!

yup, we got it sorted (I think). Shred those oak leaves and make a special pile. I will look for sun chips bags to throw in as well. Or maybe shred and use as durable mulch.


lol I saw a great lightbulb moment when I showed someone all the oak leaves on the ground in april and asked why there is nothing but oak leaves, when oaks are not the only tree. where did the other leaves go?!? lol

sometime in the future: see all the doritos, m&m's, and frito lay wrappers on the ground? why do you suppose there are no sunchips wrappers?