Chinese urged to curb their 440-million-a-day chopstick habit

It's no surprise that China goes through a good many disposable chopsticks — enough to pave Tiananmen Square every day. That's 80 billion pairs each year, requiring around 20 million, 20-year-old trees. But somewhat surprising is that a man who profits from China's taste for timber, is calling for the nation to throw away their bad habit — and carry their own. Bo Guangxin, legislator and chairman of Jilin Forestry told a meeting of parliament it was time to "encourage people to carry their own tableware." Given China imports over six billion cubic feet of wood annually (an estimated 10 percent of it logged illegally), it's probably not a bad idea. [Source]

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