by Micheal Smith (Veshengro)
PepsiCo Food Service's Frito-Lay division has partnered with TerraCycle about six months ago to "upcycle" used chip bags. As part of its continued "Conserve & Preserve" efforts, Frito-Lay is partnering with TerraCycle with the goal of keeping 5 million used chips bags out of landfills this.
Frito, which on Earth Day of 2008 unveiled a solar thermal generation facility at their manufacturing plant in Modesto, CA, with the capacity to power that entire plant, is making public its desire to reduce the environmental footprint of their packaging. By partnering with TerraCycle, they are making a significant stride toward that end with an innovative program wherein they provide incentives for people to upcycle their chip bags (people will actually ship them directly to TerraCycle, but Frito pays the postage). Terracycle will then do what they do best, turning the chip bags into everyday products like clipboards and tote bags.
To help reach the goal of diverting 5 million bags from the landfill in 2009, Frito-Lay is asking employees to form "Chip Bag Brigades" at every site to collect used bags. Bag Brigade Captains at each site will receive bins to place around their sites to collect bags from employees, pre-paid shipping materials to use to send collected bags to TerraCycle and additional information to help lead their local Bag Brigade.
"Collecting and 'upcycling' 5 million bags is an ambitious goal, but we're confident that with the power of our 48,000 Frito-Lay associates, we can do it," said Matt Smith, associate brand manager of sustainability in a prepared statement. "Employees are already showing their commitment to environmental sustainability each and every day – whether it's by serving on a Green Team, recycling their shipping cartons, or using a reusable mug for their coffee – and our partnership with TerraCycle is another great way for all employees to get actively involved in the company's 'Conserve & Preserve' efforts."
Personally, I can't wait to lay my hands on some of the products from this venture for review for I have seen already some of the cool designs they have come up with for all those brightly colored Frito's, Cheetos, Doritos, and Lay's bags. And it is the same with regards to the cools designs and products that are going to come out of the Mars/TerraCycle joint operation.
But why TerraCycle, an “upcycling” company, and why not just a traditional recycling effort? And how much can 2 cents per bag really add up to? And perhaps most importantly, how much good will this do for the waste stream?
TerraCycle 'upcycles' items by directly turning them into new products. One of the problems associated with recycling is that used materials must be broken down. Plastic bottles must be chemically, physically, or thermally broken down into usable raw materials, for example, before being processed again into a new product, and this takes energy, lots of it and also, at times, such as with paper recycling, harmful chemicals. Recycling, therefore, is much more energy intensive than 'upcycling', though still far better than making products from virgin raw materials.
Frito will donate 2 cents to a non-profit organization of your choice for each bag returned. It doesn't seem like much, but the potential for restaurants, school or hospital cafeterias, and catering companies could be substantial, due to the volume of small chip bags sold through those outlets. The potential for the waste stream could also be substantial: Frito's written goal is to divert 5 million chip bags from landfills in 2009 alone.
Refreshment service operators should make their customers aware of this "upcycling" program and encourage them to be involved in it. This is one of many environmental initiatives that industry suppliers are sponsoring.
Environmental issues have become important to consumers. In many instances, refreshment service operators have been able to win business by demonstrating the ways they are involved in operating "green."
When I see how many potato chip bags (crisps the call potato chips in Britain) go into the waste in the UK daily – and one can watch that very easily in the local parks – as well as the Capri Sun and similar drinks pouches, one becomes well aware how urgently Britain needs the likes of TerraCycle here. It cannot come soon enough, is the truth.
© 2009
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Frito-Lay has partnered with TerraCycle to 'upcycle' used Chip Bags
