The Frito-Lay Company

I have realized that trying to be "green" is about more than just saving resources and protecting the evironment. If we are ever to make progress as a society, we must inspire change in industry. Many companies have jumped on the bandwangon to produce their version of greener products: Clorox has their Green Works line, many vehicle companies have their own hybrids such as the Toyota Prius and Ford Escape, etc. One of the green products that has taken off is the Sun Chip. Frito-Lay has several things going for them here. From a health perspective, Sun Chips are made from whole grain, have less fat and salt, and no trans-fats. From an environmental stand point, they use solar power in one of their plants and today use packaging that contains 33% of renweable, plant-based material. In 2010 they plan to introduce a package that is fully biodegradable. According to their website, the bag will decompse in 14 weeks time in a hot, active compost pile. The following link contains a video clip of their accomplishments. http://www.sunchips.com/healthier_planet.shtml?s=content_compostable_packaging

Seeing as to how I am currently studying nutrition, I can appreciate the health benefits of this potato chip replacement; however, I think the statement Frito-Lay is making about the environment is just as important. Sure they get good publicity and have an advertising edge, but all the hype also contributes to the green movement. Consumers want to buy their products and other companies strive to replicate their success. Supporting products like this is important because it helps us, as consumers, make a statement about the kinds of changes we want to see. I'm making the promise that I will try to be more conscieous of the purchases I make. Becoming informed of the practices of different brands will be the biggest obstatcle in this strategy, but more than likely, if a company is doing better by the environment, they will let the public know about it. And so I encourage you to also take a step toward becoming an informed consumer. Support industry that is attempting to make a difference.