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Frito-Lay is dropping their 100% compostable Sun Chips snacks, not out of any concern over whether the bags actually decompose (they do, in an estimated 14 weeks), but because they're insanely loud. Apparently the crinkling is louder than the average potato chip bag -- as proven here -- and sales have dropped 11% since hitting shelves in January.
Video bloggers have taken to the airwaves with their complaints, among them a pilot who likened it to a jet cockpit mid-flight. Okay, we think that's a stretch, but it's true the bag is louder than most. Even so, has a loud pretzel or ruffled chip ever stopped us from snacking before?
Amy Epstein, managing director of the Americas at ABI marketing public relations, explains that a company's decision to go sustainable involves evaluating how much a consumer is willing to sacrifice for a green product. In this case, she says, if the average consumer were a bit more interested in sustainability, maybe they wouldn't mind the sound. Or maybe Frito-Lay should have tested it out more thoroughly during market research. Companies also have retailers pushing for sustainable products, which they believe is a growing market -- so "there's been a slight shift of focus away from the consumer," says Epstein.
ABI helps sustainable-packaging companies meet their market, so she does applaud the company for raising awareness. This move doesn't mean there won't be another compostable chip bag, just maybe one that isn't so loud.
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10-05-2010 @6:47PM Mitchell said... I loved that the bag was "eco friendly". Loud? Yes, and mildly obnoxious. It helped remind me that I was eating way to many chips and that I needed to seal up the bag! Bad for business, good for me! I hope they can find something as compostable soon.
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10-05-2010 @9:53PM princexy said... See comments on Serious Eats
http://www.seriouseats.com/2010/10/frito-lay-to-pull-noisy-compostable-sunchips.html
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10-05-2010 @9:14PM LIndsay said... This is ridiculous. It's too bad that consumer's priorities have shifted so quickly from 'environmentally conscious' to 'it sounds bad when I eat from a crinkly chip bag'. Ugh. I also hope that Frito Lay really thought about how this appears to consumers at large. Makes me think twice about buying their brand.
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10-06-2010 @12:23PM marijane stafford said... This is the silliest reaction on the part of consumers -- just goes to show how shallow the American public has become!! All chip bags are noisy, & so are the chips we eat out of them. So what!! I don't buy Sun Chips or anychips for the container, but for the contents. And like another commentor, I hope that Frito-Lay can find a more public-pleasing bag for their fickle buyers.
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10-06-2010 @3:53AM Chuck Spidell said... This is really lame and a perfect example of corporate marketing bullsh*t. When the Sunchips brand went compostable, I was inspired to purchase the product. I'm thinking twice about purchasing any products from Frito Lay.
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10-06-2010 @9:03PM Andi said... I thought it was fun to crinkle the bag....especially when I was plotting ways to test the decomposition.
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