Share and Voice: New SunChips 100% Compostable Package

Above is a brief advertisement I retrieved from YouTube of SunChips new compostable package.  If you have seen any SunChips commercials lately or strolled past their chip bags in the grocery store then you may be aware that the SunChips manufacturers have recently gone public with their 100% compostable packaging, the first company to produce an environmentally friendly bag.


Though it seems the SunChips company may be taking a step backward in progress, instead of forward.  Between late-September to early October SunChips will only be producing compostable bags for their Original flavor of chips while the other flavors will return to their old, traditional packaging.


Why the switch?  It appears the public has not fully warmed up to the company's new form of packaging.  The company has received an enormous amount of feedback from consumers regarding their un-satisfaction with the noise the new bags create.  So for the time being, the company will be temporarily converting back to their old packaging as they investigate other compostable packaging options.


I feel this is sad on two accounts.  First, I do realize that SunChips is a company and their primary objective is to satisfy customers, however, I feel that if they really wanted to be known as a 'green' company they would continue to use the 100% compostable bags until they discovered a more 'friendly' bag.  Instead, it seems they are taking a step backwards due to the company seeking consumer satisfaction over their concern for sustaining the environment.  The second, it seems the public is more concerned about how much noise the bag makes over being happy knowing that the SunChips company is taking precautions to help the sustain the planet.


I have purchased SunChips since the compostable bag has been released and I will admit the bag is a little louder than other chip packages, however, I have always been able to overlook that minor issue because I know the bags are benefiting the health of  the environment.  As a future health educator learning why SunChips is reverting back to their traditions bags reminds me that people are having difficulties recognizing how vital and fragile the earth really is.  All the more for us to go out to the public and help educate them on environmental health!

Read 'n' Seed 3: Second Quarter of "Do One Thing Green"

For the second quarter I read the second section or part of the book.  This time the primary topic of discussion was regarding ‘A Green and Healthy Home.’  This section included chapter’s six to 10 and expanded from page 77 to 149.

The overall main topic, as I mentioned, was about maintaining a green home so each chapter tied into that category.  Chapter 6 focused on appliances, chapter 7 on lighting, chapter 8 on saving water, chapter 9 on simple green housekeeping, and chapter 10 on reduce, reuse, recycle.

After reading the second section of the book I would have to say there were 3 main pieces of information I found to be most significant and surprising.  

1.  Lighting accounts for 20% of our energy use.  When it comes to lighting I have always been a fanatic about making sure lights are turned off when no one's using them, though I never really knew how I could help conserve energy when it is necessary for light fixtures to be turned on.  In this particular section of my book I read about converting from incandescent bulbs to efficient compact fluoresent light (CFL) bulb and purchasing light-emitting diodes (LED) lamps and fixtures.  CFL bulbs shine ten times longer and are about 75% more efficient than regular incandescent bulbs, while LED bulbs illuminate 25 times longer.  These fixtures are so energy efficient that if everyone replaced just one standard light bulb with an energy efficient bulb consumers would save about $600 million and enough energy would be conserved to light 3 million homes for a year!  Can you imagine how much energy would be saved if all lights in our homes were CFL or LED bulbs? 

There are also color options for CFL bulbs to choose from.  There are clear bluish white colored bulbs to resemble daylight or yellow/red color that's comparable to the incandescent light.

2.  When it comes to washing dishes and wanting to save more energy and water, would you think hand-washing or dishwashing would be more eco-friendly?  I guessed hand-washing and I was incorrect in my assumption.  On average, using a dishwasher uses only half the electricity and one-sixth of the water than hand-washing does. 

A recent study conducted from Germany concluded that new dishwashers can save 4,300 gallons of water a year over hand-washing.  This was troubling for me considering the house I rent does not contain a dishwasher, though, again, the book pulled through for me and provided tips for those of us who do not own dishwashers.  To begin with, scraping dishes clean and allowing them to soak in the sink before washing will help.  When it comes time for washing them, scrub the dishes and whatnot and then stack them to one side of the sink, when rinsing, give them a quick pass under the faucet and wash utentisils by the handful, not one by one.  Finally, place the clean dishes promptly into the other side of the sink or into a dish rack.    One final precaution that may be taken would entail purchasing a low-flow faucet aerator, which releases .5 gallons per minute unlike standard faucets that release 2.2 gallons per minute.  Aerator faucests may be found and purchased at most hardware stores, if you're not sure when you get there, simply ask for help.

3.  Often when the subject of creating a greener home is discussed one topic that always seems to be mentioned revolves around cleaning supplies.  The purpose for using cleaning products is to create a clean and sanitary home, however, it appears that is not necessarily what may happen.  Most house cleaners release toxic ingredients, such as petroleum-derived insecticides, into the air along with distributing unhealthy fumes.   Now, with the help of this book, I will be able to make plant-based household cleaning supplies of my own from the DIY recipes listed.  Recipes listed are soft scrub, fume-free oven cleaner, glass cleaner, floor cleaner, disinfectant, stain remover, mold remover, deodorizer, carpet/upholstery spot cleaner, toilet bowl cleaner, metal polish, and drain cleaner.  What makes me excited is knowing I can make these products using common household products such as baking soda and white vinegar, but I also feel more confident knowing these products are not emitting toxic fumes throughout the home and into the atmosphere.  If you would like a recipes let me know!

New Terminology - definitions and information provided in the link

1. Polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs)
2. Light-emitting diodes (LED)
3. Aerator

Eye Opener: CSPI

For my Eye Opener post this week I decided to Take a Tour of the Food Supply to receive helpful tips on how to eat green.


When window first opened to the webpage I had a little laugh due to the animal sounds the website provides.  On the website there were many areas to receive information when it comes to the process of raising cattle and other farm animals.  I will be honest, I do feel the website was slightly biased when it comes to the topic and that they seem to be completely against raising livestock for food consumption.  What gives me that impression is the terms they use throughout the webpage, terms such as 'foul' and 'smelly.'  I also noticed the only information the webpage provided were ways that the livestock industry is harming the environment and made no point to mention what precautions farmers are taking to run a green farm.


The most surprising fact, to me, mentioned that the overall cost of diet-related diseases costs an annual sum of approximately $90 billion.  In addition, the cost of drugs to reduce health conditions such as high cholesterol levels is about $30 billion dollars a year.  As high as this number is I do have a hard time believing that this is a result solely due to citizens consuming meat and dairy products; which was the impression I received from the website.  Some individuals, for instance, have poor health conditions due to their family genes.


I do feel I need to disclose that my family does raise beef for a living so that is probably why I am noticing the lack of healthy environmental facts when it comes to livestock farms.


Please do not misinterpret what I am saying.  I know there are ways that livestock farms are being detrimental to the environment and that the facts the website is presenting should be brought to people's attention.  What I am trying to say is that now all farms are run this way and that there are farms trying to reduce their ecological footprint as well.