Save Your Chopsticks, Save the World

Don’t let disposable chopsticks eat away at your social conscience!

My very first job was as a dishwasher in a small, family run Chinese restaurant in Starkville, Mississippi. There was no commercial dishwashing machine, so it was my job to wash the dishes and silverware by hand. I remember vividly on my first day tossing the plastic chopsticks into the trash because they seemed to me like plastic knives and forks. Under that logic, I assumed they were to be thrown away. My boss’s wife saw this in passing and grabbed my arm as I was about to release yet another handful into the trash.

“Wash these, too. We keep, “ she said as politely as possible.

But I could tell from her shaking her head and muttering choice Cantonese phrases as she walked away that this was a big deal. Her English didn’t flow as easily as her husband’s so she complained to him and left it up to him to make sure that I understood.  He came to my station and explained to me that chopsticks do not belong in the trash. He must have known that I was embarrassed, because he patted me on the shoulder as he peered into the trash.

“Don’t worry. Remember next time, okay?” he said with a reassuring smile.

From working at that small restaurant, not only did I learn to become proficient at using chopsticks as utensils for eating and cooking, I also learned the most valuable chopstick lesson of all – Chopsticks do not belong in the trash.

Though I learned that valuable lesson over 12 years ago, since becoming a sushi chef, this valuable lesson almost faded. Recently, I contemplated the several thousand pairs of disposable chopsticks I have purchased and distributed to diners over the past years for sushi use, even though I have sets of reusable chopsticks for use in my own home. All of which I am quite certain now sit in a landfill. I decided to do some rethinking and start encouraging people I know to join in on the growing Bring Your Own Chopsticks movement, where diners bring, save and use their own chopsticks when dining out.  

First, why is this an issue? Besides the obvious of tossing unnecessary items into the trash, it’s important to know that this truly is a global issue. China produces and discards about 45 billion pairs of disposable chopsticks yearly. The Chinese government calculates that nearly 25 million trees are cut each year to meet this need and the country’s forests can face future depletion. As the leading exporter of disposable chopsticks, another 15 billion pairs are exported yearly. Most of these go to Japan where the environmental concerns of disposable chopsticks use are being translated into the Japanese Bring Your Own Chopsticks movement. China too has a growing number of diners bringing their own chopsticks. 

While it’s true that encouraging US diners to bring their own chopsticks to restaurants or encouraging US restaurants to seek alternative options may not exactly solve all the world’s climate issues, every little bit helps. We all know that environmental impacts in other parts of the world impact us as well. So how can we as sushi lovers join in on the conservation efforts? Just as you would carry your own bags to the grocery store to avoid plastic shopping bags, fall in love with your very own pair of chopsticks and carry them with you when going out for sushi.  Actually, carry them with you to any restaurant where you may feel inclined to use chopsticks. There are many eco-friendly chopsticks options with carrying pouches as well as designs with collapsible features that make mobility convenient and stylish. Also, encourage your local restaurants that use disposable chopsticks to seek other options like this Japanese steak house in Orlando did. With minimal effort from everyone, we can make a difference.

And if you forget to take your own chopsticks next time you’re out for sushi, skip the disposables provided and use your fingers. It is perfectly acceptable to eat sushi with your fingers. You’ll appear to be a hip sushi aficionado who knows that sushi was created to be enjoyed as a finger food as well as help the planet. What a win win situation. 

Links of Interest

Products made from Recycled Disposable Chopsticks

Chopsticks made from Wheat Based Bio-Resin