In April, 2005, I mentioned that China and Japan were considering ways of reducing the numbers of disposable chopsticks given out to diners at restaurants.

The main problem is the level of deforestation in China and Japan resulting from this practice.

When you consider that 24 billion pairs are used in Japan and 45 billion in China each year (over 200 sets per person!), the scale of the problem suddenly becomes apparent.

Tax on disposables

In April, 2006, the Chinese imposed a 5 per cent tax on the use of disposable chopsticks and the doom-mongers suggested that Japan, in particular, would suffer from severe shortages as a result.

It is unclear whether the imposition of a tax has really affected the numbers of disposable chopsticks provided, but nearly 300 hotels in Beijing have signed up to an agreement that they would no longer use disposable chopsticks as part of their Olympic pledge.

It is hoped that 2,000 hotels will have signed up by the time the games begin.

Bio-fuel

Some of the uses of spent chopsticks are quite sensible, with schemes being set up to recycle them into paper and used as a bio-fuel for generating electricity.

Others are more whacky, with Triumph International developing a bra that incorporates fold-up chopsticks.

It is unlikely that anyone would want to buy such a bra, as the two cups are designed to be used as food bowls, with the chopsticks resting in the cleavage!

Such a gimmick does help to raise the profile of the issue, as well as a smile.

Even more extreme is the Japanese man who, concerned at the waste of perfectly good wood, collected 7,382 chopsticks from restaurant dustbins and glued them together to build a canoe!

The craft has been lacquered with resin, but despite the press coverage of its construction, he has yet to test whether it floats.


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