I read an interesting article on Atlas Obscura about a startup company called ChopValue in Vancouver Canada that is changing disposable chopsticks into furniture. What a great idea!
Chopsticks have been used for more than 5,000 years and currently about a third of the world population use them daily. Each year about 80 Billion pairs go to landfills. What a waste!
Felix Böck, founder of the Vancouver-base start up ChopValue says that in Vancouver alone, 100,000 chopsticks a day are being thrown away. Since 2016, Böck has been on a mission to do something about the disposable chopstick problem. Instead of trying to eliminate tham, he is trying to give them new life. ChopValue staff pick up about 350,000 used chopsticks from over 300 restaurants in Vancouver a week, and they become book shelves, cutting boards, coasters, desks, and custom decorations.
First the used chopsticks are coated in water based resin, then sterilized at 200 degrees F for five hours. Then a hudraulic machine breaks the wood down into composit board, which is sanded, polished, and lacquered as necessary. This is the core piece for everything from desks to table tops.
If you would like more information about this company, check our the website.
I can't help wondering how many chopsticks are thrown away every day in Japan. Wouldn't it be great if they could be recycled into something useful?
