Forests are at risk because of disposable chopsticks

A Chinese parliamentary delegate called on the country to save forests by reducing the number of disposable chopsticks that companies produce each year.

Mr. Bo Guangxin, Chairman of Jilin Forestry Corporation, addressed the delegates at the annual parliamentary session on the dangers of the habit of buying disposable chopsticks.

Chinese companies produce up to 80 billion disposable chopsticks every year. (Photo: China Daily)

'We have to change our consumption habits and encourage people to bring their spoons and chopsticks , ' Xinhua quoted Bo.

The amount of wood that Chinese businesses use to produce disposable discs is equivalent to 20 million trees every 20 years.

"If we spread all these chopsticks on Tiananmen Square, we will see 360 ​​layers of chopsticks," Bo said.

China is the world's largest consumer and importer of wood. In 2006, Beijing imposed a 5% tax on disposable chopsticks and wooden slabs to reduce waste of wood.

A report by the Environmental Investigation Agency (EIA) in London showed that China's overseas demand for wood has reached 280 million cubic meters in 2011, three times that of 2000.

"Because China's demand for wood is increasing, while at least one-tenth of the demand is met by illegal supplies, the fate of most natural forests in the world depends on China." , EIA concluded.