What if you could use the sun's rays as energy? At SunChips® we found a way to capture them so that they don't go to waste.

At our plant in Modesto, California, one of eight plants where we make SunChips® snacks, solar collectors track the sun from dawn to dusk, gathering all the energy they can.

We transfer that energy into heat, which helps us produce 145,000 bags of SunChips® snacks every day. So you get a snack that's not only better for you, but better for the planet as well.

We're happy to share all the details – download this file to learn how we do it.

Have you ever had an idea that seemed like such a good idea, such a bright idea, that you couldn't believe you hadn't thought of it before? For us, that idea was using solar power. Seems obvious, doesn't it? We make SunChips® snacks, after all. So we've started using solar energy instead of fossil fuel to help make SunChips® in our plant in Modesto, California. And although Modesto is only one of the eight plants we use to make SunChips® snacks, for us it's a small step in the right direction.

We dream of a world with less waste. That's way we're using fully compostable packaging on specially-marked bags of Original flavor SunChips® snacks. Every specially-marked bag of SunChips® Original flavor snacks is designed to break down in about 14 weeks when placed in a hot, active compost bin or pile. If it takes a little longer, don’t worry about it; Mother Nature will get to it soon enough.

Truth be told, our compostable bag sounds a bit different than our other bags, That's because the plant-based materials used to make our compostable bag have different sound qualities than the materials used to make our other bags. Although our compostable bag is a bit louder, we hope you'll appreciate its environmental benefits.

See how we tested, and filmed, the compostability of the new bag Follow our journey to developing a better bag Take a small step in your own backyard – compost

At SunChips®, we believe small steps can bring about big change.
That's why we teamed up with National Geographic to create the Green
Effect™, a contest that awarded $20,000 in funding to the five best green
ideas sent in by Americans just like you. Each of the five winners received
a profile in National Geographic magazine and travelled to National Geo-
graphic headquarters in Washington D.C to present their idea to environ-
mental leaders.

Click here to learn more about the winners