Frito-Lame or It's Not Easy Being Green

The Frito-Lay Company has proven that when it comes to saving our planet, Americans are willing to be inconvenienced not one damn iota!!! In a stunningly progressive move back in April 2009, the company launched biodegradable bags for their Sunchips snack chips in response to consumer interest in more environmentally friendly products. The company hoped to gain more business and improve their image with consumers by being "green."  Alas, there was a fatal flaw in this plan; the bags were noisy!

Because the biodegradable bags were made from plant material and had a different composition than traditional chip bags, they made more noise when opened and touched. The fact that they were 100 percent compostable and more environmentally friendly than the traditional bags meant nothing to the hoards of Facebook fans who started a campaign to bring back the original, earth polluting but quieter bags. Apparently, given the number of consumer complaints received by Frito-Lay on their new bags, a little noise pollution is much more unacceptable than adding tons of man made, non-biodegradable waste to landfills. So, did the Frito-Lay Company stand strong in its conviction that companies must lead the way in saving the earth? Did it defend its biodegradable product as healthy for the environment despite its small inconveniences? Of course not! They pulled it from the shelves and went back to the original packaging.

Except for "Original Flavor" Sunchips, the bags are now all less noisy and less earth friendly. Keeping one flavor of the bags biodegradable seems like some half-assed attempt to achieve a compromise, but no one is fooled. Money again triumphs over integrity. Common sense takes a back seat to kvetching. Who needs quiet when eating crunchy snack chips!!! Where are these complainers eating? The library? In church? Who the hell cares if the bag is noisy? And if it bothers you so frickin' much, pour your damn chips into a bowl! Can't we as consumers put up with any kind of inconvenience, no matter how slight?

We don't want to take the time to save our paper, glass, and metal and take them to recycling centers; we don't want to reduce our energy consumption; we don't want to wash and reuse storage containers; we don't want to give up our plastic water bottles or our gas guzzling cars. But, hey, we care about our environment! Just let someone else do the work! And, please, do it quietly.