It’s been a hobby of mine lately to follow the compostable packaging marketplace. As readers of this blog know, I’ve been conducting my own private experiment on the compostability claims of SunChips and Boulder Canyon, both of which claim to offer 100% compostable packaging for chip bags.
The SunChips bag is reported to be made from a corn starch base, so it has come to fame for its decibel level when opened or, well, touched. The Boulder Canyon starts with wood pulp, so it is softer and paper-like.
Just for fun, I contacted Boulder Canyon for some more insight into what makes a manufacturer of snack chips look to compostable packaging in the first place. I talked to Steve Sklar, senior vice president of marketing for Adventure Foods, which manufactures the Boulder Canyon brand.
Heidi: How did you come to start offering compostable packaging?
Sklar: For us, we started looking at it because of the brand connection. Boulder Canyon is an all-natural product made with sunflower & safflower oil. Seasonings are all natural. “Natural” has been our focus on that brand. With that in mind, we are always looking for things that connect our brand with consumers.
About two years ago, we started buying renewable energy credits (RECs). We also sponsor the American Rivers organization. We clean rivers ourselves and we sponsor clean-ups by giving away our product, coupons, and bags to clean up the trash. That was the beginning of our real move into sustainability and the environment.
The packaging suppler we use for the Boulder Canyon brand has been developing compostable packaging for some time. That was clearly the next level for us to continue the all-natural essence of the brand.
Heidi: What do you see as the big difference between your packaging and your competitor’s?
Sklar: Our products are wood-based—pulp-based. They always have been. When we made the switch, our goal was to keep our look feel, as well as the shelf life, the same. When we saw this product, we were impressed. Our bags are more of a paper finish. Most of the industry is using a plasticy finish and that doesn’t tie in with our brand. When this product was available, we jumped on it.
Heidi: Was it difficult to maintain all the performance properties (such as shelf life, moisture barrier, odor barrier) with a compostable bag?
Sklar: The bags have a number of layers. There are one or two that were the biggest issues. By changing the right layer, we kept the shelf life that we needed. We also maintained the high quality and overall look and feel of the bag.
In my next post, I’ll ask Sklar the intriguing question: Don’t major brand manufacturers do product testing? How could SunChips have gotten into so much hot water with consumers over its loud chip bag? Where did SunChips go wrong?
