Over at Bay Area Bites, they have a great article about portable chopsticks. Huh? Chopsticks you take with you? I had no idea it was such a issue, but apparently, disposable chopsticks that are thrown away, instead of washed and re-used are indeed, a problem:
China, the major producer of waribashi, exports the equivalent of 25 million trees annually so that we can slurp noodles conveniently and swallow sushi hygienically. While bamboo makes up a small number of high-end disposable chopsticks (the bigger, longer ones) most of the break-apart versions come from birch, aspen or poplar trees. Since 2001, universities and entire cities in China have increasingly banned the use of disposable chopsticks. Demand from abroad, however, continues to grow. Last spring, in an effort to slow the deforestation of its country, Beijing imposed a 5% tax on the handy little chopsticks. Japanese businesses, ever adaptive, are now looking to Vietnam and Indonesia for new sources of wood.
While pregnancy and budget issues have prevented me from slurping down my fair share of sushi lately, I have to say that I will definitely be keeping this in mind the next time I go out. After all, disposable chopsticks is the equivalent of eating with plastic cutlery – what a waste, right? I am just not sure how I feel about carrying my own chopsticks, though. I imagine I would feel sort of goofy.
