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SunChips Buries Noisy Green Packaging For Now

<p>Frito-Lay is switching all but one flavor of SunChips back to non-compostable chip bags after growing customer backlash over how loud the bags are.</p>

It sounds like Frito-Lay's compostable SunChips bags were just too loud for customers to crunch.

After a few months of growing backlash against the bags, which will compost in backyard or industrial composting settings but are also noticeably louder than other chip bags, Frito-Lay is switching all but one flavor back to the non-compostable versions.

A representative from Frito-Lay told The Inspired Economist:

While Frito-Lay works to develop a next-generation compostable package, SunChips Original snacks will remain in the current 100% compostable package, while the other SunChips flavors will be transitioned back to their traditional packaging. Once the improved compostable bag is ready, it will be featured in the SunChips Original flavor, allowing Frito-Lay to monitor consumers' response.

In retooling the bags, introduced in mid-2009, Frito-Lay might want to take a cue from Boulder Canyon, another chip company that switched to compostable bags recently. While the SunChips bags are made from corn-based polylactic acid, the Boulder Canyon bags are made with wood pulp and aren't as crunchy the SunChips bags.

SunChips bag - CC license by Flickr user j_lai

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