# Consumer preference trumps ecological packaging **URL:** \ **Category:** Miscellaneous and Personal Stuff I Must Share\ **Created:** [October 5, 2010, 7:02pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/consumer-preference-trumps-ecological-packaging/556158 "2010-10-05T19:02:34Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 16\ **Page:** 2
**Author:** ![thirdname](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/d07c76/32.png) [@thirdname](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/thirdname)\ **Post date:** [October 6, 2010, 6:12pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/consumer-preference-trumps-ecological-packaging/556158/21 "2010-10-06T18:12:50Z")
> [@Duckster](#): > > The other for the cats. So you’re telling me that cats actually _do_ like things like the [Katsak?](http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rChjMRfi40c) ---
**Author:** ![Munch](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/munch/32/5281_2.png) [@Munch](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Munch)\ **Post date:** [October 6, 2010, 6:57pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/consumer-preference-trumps-ecological-packaging/556158/22 "2010-10-06T18:57:41Z")
> [@Rex\_Goliath](#): > > I’ve heard these bags were quite loud. Can anyone confirm/disconfirm? You should hear these bags in the hands of Duran Duran. ---
**Author:** ![Munch](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/munch/32/5281_2.png) [@Munch](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Munch)\ **Post date:** [October 6, 2010, 6:59pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/consumer-preference-trumps-ecological-packaging/556158/23 "2010-10-06T18:59:02Z")
> [@nikonikosuru](#): > > As somebody above said, that makes me sad. ☹ It’s the epitome of human laziness and selfishness. Selfishness? Sure. Laziness? How the fuck is this the “epitome of human laziness”? ---
**Author:** ![Gestalt](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/90ced4/32.png) [@Gestalt](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Gestalt)\ **Post date:** [October 6, 2010, 7:13pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/consumer-preference-trumps-ecological-packaging/556158/24 "2010-10-06T19:13:57Z")
> [@nikonikosuru](#): > > > [@kittenblue](#): > > > > Laziness? Selfishness? I had heard they had new bags, but didn’t know about the noise component until the morning news did a segment. The darn things were so loud you couldn’t hear them talking over it. The one reporter said the noise woke her baby up when she tried to have a few chips in the evening. I’d only had the snack-size bags, which were the old material, so the next time I went to the store I sought out the new bags and poked one…WOW! That was really, really loud! I recycle, I try to buy things without excess packaging…but those bags were just wrong! > > I deal with them all the time. I can stand a little crinkle knowing they’ll biodegrade, as opposed to the people who are all “WAHHH my snack bag is toooo louudddd woe is me!” For reals. I get that the bags don’t really biodegrade so it’s probably not worth it, but jeez people. They weren’t about to make anyone deaf. They were just kind of loud, maybe on the order of cymbals or something. Or, if your tv had snow on it and you maxed the volume. Also, is eating from the bag that common? I would think most people would grab a bowl/plate. ---
**Author:** ![MsWhatsit](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/eb8c5e/32.png) [@MsWhatsit](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/MsWhatsit)\ **Post date:** [October 6, 2010, 7:18pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/consumer-preference-trumps-ecological-packaging/556158/25 "2010-10-06T19:18:28Z")
I don’t even eat Sun Chips normally, but now I want to go get a bag so that I can experience for myself _ **the loudest chip bag in the history of human existence** _. ---
**Author:** ![TruCelt](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/trucelt/32/523_2.png) [@TruCelt](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/TruCelt)\ **Post date:** [October 6, 2010, 7:20pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/consumer-preference-trumps-ecological-packaging/556158/26 "2010-10-06T19:20:27Z")
> [@MsWhatsit](#): > > I don’t even eat Sun Chips normally, but now I want to go get a bag so that I can experience for myself _ **the loudest chip bag in the history of human existence** _. You’ll be able to tell your Grandchildren about it. . . 😉 ---
**Author:** ![MsWhatsit](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/eb8c5e/32.png) [@MsWhatsit](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/MsWhatsit)\ **Post date:** [October 6, 2010, 7:22pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/consumer-preference-trumps-ecological-packaging/556158/27 "2010-10-06T19:22:14Z")
> [@TruCelt](#): > > You’ll be able to tell your Grandchildren about it. . . 😉 Tell them? I fully expect them to be able to hear the bag crinkling all the way from the future. ---
**Author:** ![Frank](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/f/3d9bf3/32.png) [@Frank](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Frank)\ **Post date:** [October 6, 2010, 7:23pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/consumer-preference-trumps-ecological-packaging/556158/28 "2010-10-06T19:23:17Z")
> [@Gestalt](#): > > Also, is eating from the bag that common? I would think most people would grab a bowl/plate. Then you have to wash it, which wastes water and introduces phosphates to the sewer system. 😃 ---
**Author:** ![Gestalt](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/90ced4/32.png) [@Gestalt](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Gestalt)\ **Post date:** [October 6, 2010, 8:31pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/consumer-preference-trumps-ecological-packaging/556158/29 "2010-10-06T20:31:42Z")
> [@Frank](#): > > > [@Gestalt](#): > > > > Also, is eating from the bag that common? I would think most people would grab a bowl/plate. > > Then you have to wash it, which wastes water and introduces phosphates to the sewer system. 😃 Aren’t you fancy! For dry goods I sometimes let myself by with a little rinse under the tap. But I am yucky. ---
**Author:** ![Sunspace](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/sunspace/32/1250_2.png) [@Sunspace](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Sunspace)\ **Post date:** [October 6, 2010, 9:49pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/consumer-preference-trumps-ecological-packaging/556158/30 "2010-10-06T21:49:26Z")
This isn’t consumer against biodegradable packaging; this is consumer against noisy packaging. I wonder whether the packages were available in Canada? My best friend used to eat Sun Chips; I always found the odour revolting, so I never ate them. Which is odd, because they _ought_ to be something I eat a lot of. > [@Frank](#): > > > [@Gestalt](#): > > > > Also, is eating from the bag that common? I would think most people would grab a bowl/plate. > > Then you have to wash it, which wastes water and introduces phosphates to the sewer system. 😃 Assuming you’re not connected to a greywater system that uses plants. In which case, it’s just more fertilizer for the jasmine. 🙂 ---
**Author:** ![Yorikke](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/yorikke/32/4335_2.png) [@Yorikke](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Yorikke)\ **Post date:** [October 7, 2010, 5:46am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/consumer-preference-trumps-ecological-packaging/556158/31 "2010-10-07T05:46:16Z")
> [@Duckster](#): > > The other for the cats. > 😃 It’s as bad to my cats as a coffee can full of pennies. Joe ---
**Author:** ![BigT](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/bigt/32/12044_2.png) [@BigT](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/BigT)\ **Post date:** [October 7, 2010, 5:53am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/consumer-preference-trumps-ecological-packaging/556158/32 "2010-10-07T05:53:26Z")
> [@Gestalt](#): > > For reals. I get that the bags don’t really biodegrade so it’s probably not worth it, but jeez people. They weren’t about to make anyone deaf. They were just kind of loud, maybe on the order of cymbals or something. Or, if your tv had snow on it and you maxed the volume. > > Also, is eating from the bag that common? I would think most people would grab a bowl/plate. Um, you are aware that people go deaf form having their TVs, too loud? And that professional cymbal players are either hard of hearing or wear special earplugs? And how the heck can you be unaware that the majority of people eat chips out of bags? I can understand that you don’t do it, but surely you’ve watched at least one person eating chips on TV. ---
**Author:** ![Geek\_Mecha](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/ecae2f/32.png) [@Geek\_Mecha](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Geek_Mecha)\ **Post date:** [October 7, 2010, 8:32pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/consumer-preference-trumps-ecological-packaging/556158/33 "2010-10-07T20:32:47Z")
> [@Gestalt](#): > > They were just kind of loud, maybe on the order of cymbals or something. Or, if your tv had snow on it and you maxed the volume. I feel like I’m being wooshed. Seriously, cymbals? A maxed-volume TV? Why should I accept that level of noise from my chips bag? ---
**Author:** ![Munch](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/munch/32/5281_2.png) [@Munch](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Munch)\ **Post date:** [October 7, 2010, 8:46pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/consumer-preference-trumps-ecological-packaging/556158/34 "2010-10-07T20:46:12Z")
> [@Gestalt](#): > > They weren’t about to make anyone deaf. They were just kind of loud, maybe on the order of cymbals or something. Or, if your tv had snow on it and you maxed the volume. A couple hearing-loss related facts: 1. Hearing loss becomes an issue at 95 dB when sustained for 2 minutes. 2. 2 minutes: about as long as I tend to spend eating chips out of a bag. 3. 95 dB - the decibel level at which Sun Chips bags are commonly registered at. Things I do while watching television: 1. Occasionally eat chips. 2. Watch television at a non-maximum volume setting. Things that tend to disrupt watching television at a non-maximum volume setting: 1. Earthquakes. 2. Sexy times. 3. Things that are as loud as a maximum-volume television. ---
**Author:** ![Mtgman](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/b5a626/32.png) [@Mtgman](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Mtgman)\ **Post date:** [October 7, 2010, 9:33pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/consumer-preference-trumps-ecological-packaging/556158/35 "2010-10-07T21:33:19Z")
> [@Trom](#): > > We tried composting one of those bags. After a few months, we now have compost with a potato chip bag in it. > > After 30 seconds of internet research, I see this is probably because our home compost bin doesn’t maintain a 125°F temperature required for the bag to biodegrade. This was our experience too. I’ve been composting since I was a kid(raised by farmers who grew up in the depression, we don’t throw ANYTHING away if we can re-use it) and these compostable bags are just a fucking joke from a composting point of view. Enjoy, Steven ---
**Author:** ![Euphonious\_Polemic](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/euphonious_polemic/32/3002_2.png) [@Euphonious\_Polemic](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Euphonious_Polemic)\ **Post date:** [October 7, 2010, 10:15pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/consumer-preference-trumps-ecological-packaging/556158/36 "2010-10-07T22:15:36Z")
> [@Mtgman](#): > > > [@Trom](#): > > > > We tried composting one of those bags. After a few months, we now have compost with a potato chip bag in it. > > > > After 30 seconds of internet research, I see this is probably because our home compost bin doesn’t maintain a 125°F temperature required for the bag to biodegrade. > > This was our experience too. I’ve been composting since I was a kid(raised by farmers who grew up in the depression, we don’t throw ANYTHING away if we can re-use it) and these compostable bags are just a fucking joke from a composting point of view. > > Enjoy, > Steven Absolutely. From personal experience, these bags were simply a noisy, brittle, non-compostable sorry excuse for a package, that was probably just a green-washing exercise by the company. [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/consumer-preference-trumps-ecological-packaging/556158.md?page=1)