First I had to get rid of the watermelon rinds left over from breakfast. At lunchtime my cargo was a bunch of strawberry stems that needed to find their way into their new home. A dustbin full of cheddar bunnies around 2 p.m. came next. Then I came across the SunChips bag I had stowed away for when I got my bin. I had to throw that in before my husband tossed in a bunch of lawn clippings. Around 5 p.m. there were more watermelon rinds. By the time dinner scraps made their way outside — broccoli stems, left-over smushed up potatoes and an apple core — I realized that this bin might end up doing more than just reducing our garbage stream. It actually might reduce my rear end while boosting my mood, too.

Let’s do the math. Okay, I’ll concede that right now I am in the honeymoon stage. Eventually, I’m going to start using a coffee can or some other receptacle so I will only be making two or three trips a day. Still, that’s 180 steps a day. 5,400 steps a month. 64,800 steps a year. That’s more than 30 extra miles of walking. Incredible and important. I’ll be able to keep my metabolism humming more effectively while at the same time doing great things for the earth.

It’s going to get me outside more, too. Those brief forays into my backyard will expose my arms (but thankfully not my super-sunscreened-at-all-times-face) and legs to Vitamin-D-enriched sunshine. The light will also boost my mood. I’ll be getting fresh air and getting a glimpse at nature. Maybe I’ll even linger for a few minutes, gazing up at the clouds or — at night — the stars.

And what about the byproducts of the compost bin? All that great, sweet-smelling (mostly) organic dirt might inspire me to garden more. Or maybe I’ll get really excited and start a vegetable garden. Gardening is in my blood, after all. (Check back this week for a blog post about my wonderful Italian grandma and her many gardens.) At the very least I’ll have fresh soil to sprinkle in my flower beds and scatter under my bushes.

Bottom line: I think my compost bin is a good example of how one small change can create a tidal wave of new experiences and habits. I can’t wait to see how it all plays out.

Happy Monday! Hope you’re enjoying your day. I was so pleasantly surprised to see how many people stopped in and commented about the new compost bin. Would love to hear about how your bin has inspired changes in your life!

The commercial shows an empty bag slowly decomposing into nothingness. The world’s first 100 percent decomposable chip bag. Text comes on the screen explaining how the new bags are made from plant materials, and how they are coming this April for Earth Day.

I loved it. We boat, and I can’t tell you how many empty chip bags I pull out of the water while tooting around the Great South Bay. I wanted to learn more so I went to the SunChips site. I was instantly excited when I saw the company’s marketing: “So you eat the chips. The earth eats the bag. And we all live in a cleaner world.” But once I read on, I was a little disappointed. Here’s the thing: the bag won’t decompose unless conditions are right. From the SunChips Web site: “What we have found is that under aerobic compost conditions at >55˚C the film structure breaks down very quickly – about 12-16 weeks. These conditions are typical for an industrial compost facility. Additionally, we have found that under anaerobic conditions (similar to what would be found in a landfill) no significant decomposition takes place. This means that the new film would not decompose in a properly maintained landfill.” It didn’t say anything about whether or not it decomposes while floating around in the ocean, but this means that if you throw away the bag, it’s still going to be around in 100 years.

I can’t really complain too much. The company is doing a lot for the environment. The chips are manufactured in a plant right here in the U.S. that uses solar power. Plus, SunChips are probably one of the healthiest mainstream chip out there. The ingredients are simple: Whole Corn, Sunflower Oil, Whole Wheat, Rice Flour, Whole Oat Flour, Sugar, and Salt. Not a bit of high fructose or hydrogenated oils anywhere. But there is more they can do. I’d like to see the Frito-Lay folks extend the bag into its other lines, and I’d like to see them make the whole must-be-composted thing more visible and understandable. If you watch the commercial, at first glance, you think it will decompose anywhere it ends up. And that’s obviously not the case.

And so, in the spirit of the Winter Olympics I must give Frito Lay and SunChips a 72.5 out of 100. Its new “costume” is memorable. In fact, it’s a great idea. It just needs a little more teasing out. Not to mention more visibility. People can’t dispose of the bags correctly unless they know how. It would be great if Frito-Lay actually helped sponsor a program to get people composting. Even those who live in apartments can compost with special trashcans that sit under the sink.

Do you compost? Would you? What do you think of the SunChips advertising campaign? Is the compostable bag all smoke and mirrors or a genuinely good idea?