Use Chopsticks and Chop Down Trees? How About BYOC
The landslide in China's Gansu Province that killed more than 1,200 people was one of the worst episodes during a summer of catastrophic flooding in the nation. But while triggered by rains, the landslide was also partly a man-made disaster, the result of careless deforestation of the land and one that researchers had long warned could occur.
And it's not just China's construction boom that's causing forests to be cleared. Folks are also eating their way through the trees: Disposable wooden chopsticks are a huge, avoidable tax on the world's forests.
In China alone, people go through about 45 billion pairs of disposable chopsticks a year, writes Smith College Professor Daniel K. Gardner in the Los Angeles Times. According to one estimate, that demand translates into the cutting of about 100 acres of trees per day.
The alternatives to disposable chopsticks aren't always perfect either, however. Some restaurants favor offering reusable wooden chopsticks wrapped in paper sleeves touting environmental awareness. Others use slick plastic chopsticks that can be cleaned in sterilizers either in-house or at off-site cleaning facilities. But sterilization still takes energy, and as in the case of the paper "protect the environment" sleeves, packaging presents a new burden on the environment.
Luckily for China, there's a simple solution available: portable reusable chopsticks. Some just go in a case you carry with you. Some unscrew like mini-billiards cues and store in a very compact space. Either way, the "bring your own chopsticks" (BYOC) movement can be an under-appreciated part of the sustainable food community. Without endorsing a specific vendor, a few moments on Google yield numerous options.
Restaurants too bear responsibility. Whereas many big fast food chains have moved to recycled paper packaging, the ubiquitous U.S. chain Panda Express is behind the times in handing out wooden chopsticks. Sure, it's more work for the store, but if you can wash trays in the food court, I'm pretty sure you can wash chopsticks too.
If ordering Chinese delivery, keep some chopsticks at home and tell them to forgo the freebie. Delivery joints should make chopsticks and other extras optional and simply ask customers whether they really need them. Alternately, they could charge for the wooden ones, and offer cheap reusable ones at a slight premium.
There are plenty of solutions out there. Chopsticks don't have to mean chopping down trees.
Image Credit: Dan4th
Graham Webster
is a graduate student at Harvard and environment writer. He has worked as a journalist and consultant in Beijing and as an editor at the Center for American Progress.
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