by Wonder Worman | Nov 12, 2010 | Less in the Landfill, Out and About, Red Wiggler World
Hi,
I am so excited to begin my composting experiment with the compostable bag! Thanks for creating this product. I am promoting the bag and really don’t care about the noise. I understand Frito Lay needs to listen to consumers in order for the product to survive, but was upset to see that there was a change back to the plastic bags while research is being conducted. I am the owner of Wonder Worman, a composting service business in Bend, Oregon. I sell Red Wiggler composting worms and worm bins. I also work with the Environmental Center, setting up our local schools with worm bins and composting bins. Please view my blog and web site. I will be updating the blog with the observations of my experiment on a regular basis.
www.wonderworman.com
http://wonderworman.blogspot.com/
Best to the business!
Laurie – Red Wiggler Merchant
Frito-Lay’s response
Hi Laurie,
Thank you for your enthusiastic response on Snack Chat about our SunChips compostable package. I’m not an expert on composting but have been told that the package does not break down as well in vermi-compost, because it is a cold compost method. The ideal compost temperature needed for our package to decompose is 120-140 degrees. To achieve this temperature there are some great suggestions on www.sunchips.com. Your business venture sounds like an exciting one, and certainly needed with the growing sentiment we’ve seen from consumers about being good stewards of our planet. We wish you the very best in your endeavor and thank you again for supporting our earth-friendly initiative.
Happy Thanksgiving!
Best regards,
Linda Phelps
Frito-Lay Consumer Affairs
by Wonder Worman | Nov 11, 2010 | Red Wiggler World
Tis the season for blankets and layers. This is also the case for your Red Wiggler friends. If you have an outdoor bin, it’s important to think about insulation so your wiggly friends will be warm and cozy all winter long. There are various things you can use. You can use hay to create a thick wall of insulation. Two years, I purchased some inexpensive fencing material from the hardware store. Then, secured it in the ground leaving some space to stuff the hay in between the bins and the fence. I also opened the lid and put a bunch of hay above the bedding. When it snowed, I left the snow on top to create another natural layer of insulation. If hay is not readily available, then lawn clippings and leaves will do which I am using this year. You can also use old blankets or tarps to cover your bin. Be creative!
You can also transfer some worms into a large plastic bin and put the bin in the garage or laundry room. Then the worms will consume the food at a quicker rate due to the warmer temperatures. If the worms are in an outdoor bin, you will notice their consumption rate has decreased. They too, like the bears go into a hibernation/dormant state.
by Wonder Worman | Nov 10, 2010 | Less in the Landfill, Red Wiggler World
Ready, Set, Go!!! This empty SunChips compostable bag will be put to the test in a Wonder Worman Bin! I have faith in Frito-Lay and believe this compostable bag will break down. The time frame is what I am not too sure about….13 weeks. My gut is telling me it will be longer due to the temperature of the bin. The website states that composting will occur at quicker rates if the pile is at 130 degrees F. We are close to winter,and the temperatures are hovering in the 20’s-40’s. Yesterday the temperature in the Wonder Worman bin was 60.
I sprinkled the bag with some of the bedding and compost mixture. This bin has been actively composting since May. It is already established with the brown(leaves, shredded newspaper, peat moss combo) and green(veggie scraps and lawn clippings) mixture.
By the way, the SunChips bag was added to my experimental bin! About 4 months ago, I added compostable party plates to this bin to test their ability to compost. These plates are breaking down and are very flimsy. Since these plates claim to be compostable and are showing signs of composting, I have faith in Frito-Lay and their compostable bags!
I am not too sure what is driving me to prove them right. Maybe it’s the hope that all disposable products will be compostable. I know there are other businesses out there looking to the future of our planet, Elements Naturals to name one off the top of my head! I’m just disappointed that the consumer couldn’t see the benefits of this bag which out weighed the minutes/seconds of noise they would need to endure. The plastic bags will be around A LOT longer than the noise!
