Hello All Environmental Earthworm Readers,

Standing in the aisle at the ?health? food store in my wee town, I happened upon a product that seemed to herald a packaging revolution: Annie Chun?s Kung Pao Noodle Bowl. The package read, ?Our Noodle Bowls come to you in a biodegrable bowl that decomposes in the soil with no harm to the earth. It?s better for the planet and one small way we can care for our environment together.?

Not a big fan of expensive Top Ramen, but intrigued by the possibility to demonstrate directly to my four-year-old son the concept of biodegradability (is that a word?), I went ahead and made the purchase. We shared the contents for lunch and then I made a show of rinsing the bowl and inserting it 2/3 of the way into the damp rich soil of a planter box. I even cracked it a bit (shown) to help hasten the process.

Two months passed and I took a look at the bowl. It was fresh and white and as unsullied as the day we met in the ?health? food store. So I called Annie Chun?s and asked about the time frame. Given direct sunlight, rain, and healthy soil - all things necessary to the process and things a typical bowl would never find at the landfill - how long should it take for the bowl to begin to break down? She (Annie? No. I don?t think Annie really exists any more than Aunt Jemima.) hesitated, put me on hold, then came back with a firm answer of 100 days. Fair enough, I said. At 120 days, I ventured to the planter box with Justice to search for signs of biodegradation. The bowl was fresh and white and as unsullied as the day we met in the ?health? food store.

Now I?m a bit upset as Justice is getting a poor introduction into the world of sustainable packaging. He?s beginning to ask me if I?m pulling his leg when I tell him the bowl will ?melt back into the Earth, providing nutrients for earthworms and plants alike.?

A bit frustrated, I returned to Annie Chun?s website which pointed me to One Bowl.org, a site name that would suggest one may learn more about the providers of the faux-degradable bowls. Nope. The site is NOTHING MORE than a Pay Pal donation button.

Yesterday marked the 200 day point. Alone this time, for fear of further damaging Justice?s faith in marketers, I wiped away the soil from the Annie Chun?s Kung Pao Noodle Bowl. And guess what? Finally, after 200 days, the bowl was fresh and white and as unsullied as the day we met in the ?health? food store. The verdict is in: ANNIE CHUN?S BIODEGRADABLE BOWLS ARE TOTAL CRAP.

Also, if any of you know of biodegradable packing that DOES work, let me know.

Jean

Post edited by: Jean Valjean, at: 2007/02/17 18:10<br><br>Post edited by: Jean Valjean, at: 2007/02/18 11:36