1. Search the Internet for more examples of compostable packaging. Discuss three of them.
2. Is corn-based compostable packaging a sustainable solution to replace petroleum-based plastic packaging? Discuss the pros and cons of this alternative.
Corn-based packaging is hitting the shelves for everything from bottles to bags. But one such endeavor had unintended consequences. Frito-Lay came out with a 100 percent compostable bag for its Sun Chip line of chips. The package, made from 100 percent polylactic acid (PLA), a corn-based biopolymer that fully decomposes within 14 weeks, had one drawback-it was terribly noisy. A U.S. Air Force pilot posted a video on YouTube showing the sound reaching 95 decibels when the bag was touched, leading him to claim it was "louder than the cockpit of my jet." Others likened the sound to "revving motorcycles" or "glass breaking." The package soon became the butt of jokes, even resulting in a Facebook group called "Sorry But I Can't Hear You Over This Sun Chips Bag." Frito-Lay relented and reintroduced a less-noisy bag.