I was just into my fifth bite of sushi when I looked down and... considered: When I order sushi, I just take it home and pull out the same ole chopsticks from the forks/knives/spoon drawer...
But what about when you eat out?
Are chopsticks recycled? Are they green?
A little quick reading shows that in other parts of the world, it is becoming common to offer a choice of recyclable (but plastic) chopsticks. And in Tokyo, they are trying to recycle disposible chopsticks as fuel. Ikjeld explains,
"Today about 25 billion pairs of these chopsticks are used annually in Japan - about 200 pairs per capita.
Disposable chopsticks have become controversial as a symbol of throwaway culture and a cause of deforestation, and various efforts have been made to deal with these problems. Approaches include; (1) creating chopsticks that don't damage forests, but in fact function to protect forests; (2) recycling used disposable chopsticks into paper and particleboard; (3) carrying one's own chopsticks to use rather than disposable chopsticks when eating out - the so-called "My Chopsticks" movement."
http://www.ikjeld.com/japannews/00000455.php
Disposable chopsticks have become controversial as a symbol of throwaway culture and a cause of deforestation, and various efforts have been made to deal with these problems. Approaches include; (1) creating chopsticks that don't damage forests, but in fact function to protect forests; (2) recycling used disposable chopsticks into paper and particleboard; (3) carrying one's own chopsticks to use rather than disposable chopsticks when eating out - the so-called "My Chopsticks" movement."
http://www.ikjeld.com/japannews/00000455.php
If bringing your own chopsticks and discouraging the cheap, disposable chopstick industry seems extreme, then consider the following: I stumbled across a young blogger, Apple's site, who, in the old tradition of "pictures are worth a thousand words" wrote,
(from http://www.xiaoyenzi.com/2007/11/chopstick-alert/)
When eating out, do you prefer they serve you with the disposable chopsticks or the normal plastic/wooden chopsticks? Many think that the disposable chopsticks are more hygiene because after used, they are normally thrown.
How clean are these chopsticks?
Are they safe for our health?
How many bamboo trees need to be chopped?No matter how true is this, let's take a look at the following article to let yourself uncover the truth behind those disposable bamboo chopsticks!
Brief information on production of disposable chopstick
1. Cut down bamboo trees from South East Asia country.
2. Production of Central of Vietnam.
3. Bleach using sulfur (??) and Hydrogen Peroxide (???). (Not for disinfection purpose)
4. Drying process.
5. Packing ready to be exported to Taiwan, Japan
6. Shipping
*It takes 1 month to export these chopstick from the factory to Taiwan. Meanwhile, the chopstick is exposed to rat and cockroaches.*
7. Wrapping process without any disinfection.
Upon arrival in Taiwan, these chopstick are sent to small factory to be wrapped without any disinfection process before sending to restaurants.
And directly send to customer's mouth.
There are thousands and millions of monkeys residing inside these chopsticks.
Can you see it?
Monkey faces inside the chopstick.
The leftover from the chemical (sulfur and hydrogen peroxide) will stay inside these holes until you use them.Conclusion from an experiment:
- Soak the chopstick in water for one week - it sinks.
- Plant green pea in the soaked water, resulted longer growing process, it stop growing when reach 5-6cm and finally die.
- Smoke from burning these chopstick is tested to be acidic.
Carbon dioxide found in the bamboo chopstick.
- Avoid using disposable chopstick which is very white as it is not the original color of the wood. Chopstick that is too white may have been bleach excessively.
- It is advised to soak the disposable chopstick in hot water b4 use to release carbon dioxide.
- It is best not to use these chopstick for bbq, and leave in the soup as it tend to release more carbon dioxide.
Possible consequences of using disposable chopstick.
- Suffer difficult breathing, vomit, diarrhoea etc. and loss of calcium due to sulfur.
- Suffer Asthma and difficult in breathing.
- Sulfur contains heavy metal chemical such as lead and mercury. Such heavy metal can accumulate in our body and can cause lead poisoning or mercury poisoning.
- Lymph cancer.
If you can't avoid using disposal chopsticksIt is suggested to smell the chopstick b4 use. If any sour smell, possibly it contain CO2. And soak them in warm and hot water for 2 to 3 min to reduce the CO2.
It is still best to bring along your own chopstick.
By continuing consuming disposable chopstick..
- A 20-year old tree could produce 3000-4000 pairs of chopstick
- Taiwanese use more than 100billion pairs
- Which means 29 million of trees are being cut every year
Disposable chopstick affect our environment.Is it possible that Taiwan will recycle and reuse the used chopstick?
As reported by reliable sources, it was found that the disposable chopstick are being recycle by reusing sulfur & Hydrogen Peroxide.
My two cents:
Although this is an experiment/ a survey conducted by Taiwanese, I think there's not much difference for the disposable chopstick in our local restaurants or dining place. Do you think you will bring along your own chopstick? Or prefer to soaked the disposable chopstick in hot water before you use? Or simply don't even bother about this issue? lol, I think most of us will choose the last. XD
Popularity: 84%"
Well, for myself, I will be investing in an attractive, permanent, funky GREEN MODERN KITS chopstick (maybe I'll make some up & give as gifts? Oh fun!) to bring from now on!
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I might have been moved by
I might have been moved by your post if you didn't whine on about so many trees being chopped down. Bamboo is a grass, not a tree. The hardy rhizome is left in the ground when the bamboo is cut down and quickly grows new bamboo shoots. Bamboo is the fastest growing plant in the world. Some bamboos grow up to 3 feet/day.
Bamboo is probably the most sustainable cellulose source we have, and cutting it down is essentially the same as mowing the lawn.
Gross! ; )
What really grossed me out about this blogger's post was the multiple hands touching the chopsticks/bleach/chemicals, etc. Despite your assertion that bamboo is grass, it still takes a mighty lot o' gas to power those bamboo chopsticks over to our shores, much less the space it takes up to grow when they could instead be growing food. I for one, now keep my own personal set of chopsticks (as I carry my own fork, etc.) for reuse and certainty that they are clean! : )
www.GreenModernKits.com
what do chopsticks, towels and diapers have in common?
Great post! This seems like one of those things that if "fixed" on a large scale could have quite an impact-- like when hotels started encouraging people to re-use their towels and sheets. Here's another one that falls into that category:
Since it is almost Christmas
They would make a great stocking stuffer for the sushi enthusiast. Let me know when you make some up. :-)
Summer Berry
Cardinal Building Systems, Inc.
Building Efficiently for Energy Savings
Thanks for featuring my
Thanks for featuring my post. I think it is important to let everyone know about this news and let's keep the environment green as well as our health green.
Apple
www.GreenModernKits.com
Well thank YOU, Apple, I have much enjoyed reading your blogs, especially as a female, appreciated your posts regarding fiscal responsibility and marriage. Please know worldwide people are encountering the same issues- and that we all must consider debt... DEBT and try to minimalize it as much as possible.
A wonderful girl that works for me was just married a few weeks ago- and they did everything they could to be under budget- it was so heartfelt, so wonderful, and yet they can start saving for their future instead of paying off their wedding. If more people thought that way... we'd all be in more stable times.
Your friend,
GMK