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Ronnie Citron-Fink

10 Ways to Use Chopsticks

posted by Ronnie Citron-Fink Nov 20, 2009 7:20 am
filed under: Blogs, EcoNesting DIY, Healthy Home, On The Go, Reduce, Recycle & Reuse, , , , , ,
10 Ways to Use Chopsticks
23 comments

I am almost embarrassed to mention that one of my kitchen drawers is dedicated to disposable chopsticks. Let me explain: the collection was fodder for a fabulous reuse project that I made with many, many school kids. Handmade knitting needles was the project. While I still knit with the handmade knitting needles, I don’t need to make any more new ones. Hence, the build-up in the chopsticks drawer.

The rest of the sticks seem to be waiting for the next great DIY project. Being quite chopstick proficient, I have a set of beautiful handmade sustainable bamboo chopsticks that a friend gave me as a gift. Those are the chosen utensils to use when a meal calls for chopsticks. Now I say no to single use chopsticks and bring my own when dining out.

Here is some chopstick background information adapted from The Waribashi Project: Chopsticks have been used for over 5000 years and are an important part of many Asian cultures. They signify sustenance, history, the sacred (special ones are used in religious ceremonies) and the mundane. A distinction is made between reusable/washable chopsticks and the throwaway kind. Disposable chopsticks pose an environmental threat through deforestation and destruction of forest habitats. Every year, throughout the world, hundreds of billions of disposable chopsticks are thrown away after a single-use. Disposable chopsticks are the number one use of rainforest wood after furniture: 25 million trees are chopped down each year to make them.

Kwytza Chopstick Art is an inspiring company that addresses the environmental impact of single-use chopsticks. The idea is simple: they collect post-use, single-use bamboo chopsticks from restaurants, thoroughly clean them, sanitize them at extremely high temperature and pressure, and use the chopsticks to make high-quality accents for the consumer’s living space. Kwytza Chopstick Art was the original idea of founder Bryan Parks, an American who lived in China for several years. Bryan rather nonchalantly asked his lunch partner one day how many chopsticks he imagined China used per year. This simple question would prove to be the catalyst for this innovative coupling of art and conservationism.

10 DIY reuses for chopsticks:
– Make gardening stakes; write plant names on the sides and stick them next to seedlings.
– Make training chopsticks for kids.
– Remove stuck toast with a chopstick (be sure to unplug the toaster first).
– Make knitting needles (my project here)
– Make chopstick wrapper bookmarks.
– Make hair chopsticks.
– Use and reuse in handy DIY Utensil Holder.
– Make a set of pick-up sticks.
– Make a DIY Place Mat.
– Use as skewers for kabobs.

Save up to 7,382 used chopsticks and build a life-size canoe!

Photo Credit: Chopstick Art www.chopstickart.com

Ronnie Citron-Fink is a writer and educator. Ronnie regularly writes about sustainable living for online sites and magazines. Along with being the creator of www.econesting.com, Ronnie has contributed to numerous books about green home design, DIY, children, and humor. Ronnie lives the Hudson Valley of New York with her family.
More on EcoNesting DIY (48 articles available)
More from Ronnie Citron-Fink (117 articles available)

23 comments

23 comments

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23 comments add your comment
Shelley R.

Good ideas!

Michelle F.

Thanks for this article - lots of great ideas, and I love the basket pictured above - it's beautiful!

Cindy B.

Re: Sonya G's comment of 11/22: THIS IS TRUE!, i.e., disposable chopsticks are supposedly poisonous. Several of my friends emailed me a few months ago with the dire warning, "DO NOT USE DISPOSABLE CHOPSTICKS!" a few months ago after this news came out; and though I don't remember the exact message, it did have something to do with the chemicals they use to bleach them. SOOOO, be sure to bring your own and eschew the restaurants' offerings. That's a win-win all around. Cheers, Cindy B.

Rhonda Maness

very useful and fun suggestions!

Cyndi M.

My chopstick trivets for hot foods at holiday time are always requested as 'gifts' after the events. I only get enough extra chopsticks to make one or two each year. :) Never have enough.

Teresa Wlosowicz

Well, I've heard the following joke:
- What is written on chopsticks? (In fact, there is something written in Chinese.)
- One is a fork and the other is a knife. :-)

Sophie Tousignant

I already used them for my plants. I also use chopsticks to mix paint, glue and other crafty liquids. I usually eat with washable ones but once in a while a single-use pair finds its way into my kitchen. They always stay a while longer for a second use...

Sonya G.

Disposable chopsticks are hazardous to your health!! Low-quality chopsticks are treated with either sulfur (which becomes sulfur dioxide and enters into the human respiratory system) or chlorine which can cause liver stones and could also contain dioxin (which is fatal). These treatments are done to make dark wood lighter, to make it almost impossible to distinguish low-quality from high quality to distributors and consumers. Bamboo chopsticks can also contain talc (known as monkey poison) to make the chopsticks smooth. I would say it's better to buy some reusable chopsticks and maybe even bring your own to eat out at asian restaurants that offer disposable chopsticks.

Genevieve H.

Disposable chopsticks made with bamboo are the only ones that are environmentally sustainable, as bamboos grow very fast and have a new crop every year. They are more like a weed in Asia. It is chopsticks made from trees that should be totally banned. The problem with those so called handicraft projects is that people go and buy a whole pack of hundreds of unused chopsticks (at least here in Japan) just to make their project, so it is not that environmentally friendly at all.

Teresa Mac Tavish

I HAVE A COLLECTION OF CHOPSTICKS IN MY DRAWER, I AM GONNA MAKE THE BASKET, THANK YOU

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Disclaimer: Care2.com does not warrant and shall have no liability for information provided in this newsletter or on Care2.com. Each individual person, fabric, or material may react differently to a particular suggested use. It is recommended that before you begin to use any formula, you read the directions carefully and test it first. Should you have any health care-related questions or concerns, please call or see your physician or other health care provider.

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