My immediate thought is it sounds like Kellogg's/Pringles could get a lot of free positive marketing by just switching to a "100% biodegradable" bag?
Nobody likes Pringles because they're in a tube.
Nobody likes Pringles because they're in a tube.
I was around when Pringles were introduced, and saw the ads on TV. The tube was central to the marketing appeal. There were already reconstituted potato chips in bags on the market, though I can't for the life of me remember the name.
Pringles were molded to a uniform size and shape, and the tube protected them from breakage. There was a satisfying snap when you opened the lid.
There are other examples where the packaging is the product, such as "Lunchables" from Oscar Mayer.
Pringles are made by pressing ground up potato paste into a disc shape and drying them. That makes them weaker than regular potato chips, necessitating a rigid tube container.
You might ask why make chips that way in the first place? My hunch is that they exist as a way to use up byproducts produced by other potato products. Sort of like how sawdust from lumber production is used to make particleboard.
Pringles are essentially edible particleboard.
Again, seems more like a failure of imagination.
Sure, but on the designers' part or ours? I certainly would not be surprised if there were reasons why the Ritz approach wouldn't work.
Ever take a bag of chips on a backpacking trip?