Are non-reusable chopsticks a thing of the past? In its latest initiative to make China more green, the government is proposing to pass a new regulation which would see the wasteful eating instruments outlawed. If the plan goes through, restaurants could in future face fines if caught handing out disposable chopsticks.
Chopsticks are Dead, Long Live the Chopsticks
The current draft, which could come into effect within a year, reads as follows; “food business operators should provide reusable chopsticks and biodegradable plastic tableware; supermarkets, shopping malls, markets and other retail establishments may not sell or offer for free non-degradable plastics shopping bags.”
Breach of regulations will have serious consequences. First time offenders will see their chopstick stash confiscated, whereas serial disposable chopstick providers might end up seeing their establishment closed down by local authorities.
Considering the numerous issues related to disposable chopsticks, this is a rather welcome move on the government’s part.
For one, the little wooden sticks have in the past seen their reputation tarnished by the fact that some factories bathe them in toxins to make them look more attractive. A report by Shanghai Youth Daily exposed the practice of some factories producing non-reusable chopsticks by using sulphur to fumigate and kill mold and industrial hydrogen peroxide to bleach the sticks so they look whiter, cleaner and more aesthetically pleasing. As the number one choice for many restaurant-goers who fear that the establishments’ own chopsticks are not cleaned properly, it turns out with the seemingly safer option, diners could actually be ingesting something much more dangerous than germs.
On a larger scale, the production of disposable chopsticks is putting considerable pressure on the country’s forests, speeding up the drastic effects of deforestation. Xinhua quoted Bai Guangxin, chairman of the Jilin Forestry Industry Group, who revealed that China produces 80 billion disposable chopsticks per year. Quantifying this amount even further, he explained this equaled destroying 20 million 20-year old trees per year.
The chopstick issue has in fact been under discussion for a while now. In 2010, Greenpeace East Asia partnered with Chinese artist Yinhai Xu to create a disposable chopstick forest in a public space in a bid to expose the destructive effect of the innocent looking utensils.
In light of such staggering figures, one can only applaud the government for getting their act together; should the law come through that is.
Moving towards “Reasonable Consumption”
The potential chopstick ban is part of a bigger operation calling for “reasonable consumption” within dining establishments such as restaurants, hotels, KTVs and the like.
Aside from sticking it to the eco-unfriendly chopsticks and bags, the government wants to declare businesses responsible for ensuring a healthy consumption level among their guests. In order to make sure the businesses join in such an unprofitable mission, the government is planning to declare minimum spend illegal, which comes as good news for moderate consumers more than anything.
Packaging Revolution
Another measure under the new green law would make the recyclability of packaging obligatory. If the law is passed, any form of packaging must be recyclable, or the vendor faces legal trouble.
Furthermore, the regulation will tackle excessive packaging, outlawing any unnecessary use of material and offering up regulations which packaging will have to follow in future, including easy recovery, easy to disassemble, readily biodegradable, non-toxic or low toxicity harmful materials. In case of breach, the products could be taken off the market.
Waste Separation
Finally, the draft announces that separation and recycling of waste shall be enforced by law in the near future. To ensure separation and recycling practices will be followed, all major residential areas, supermarkets and shopping centres will be obliged to install recycling stations.
With relation to traffic, the use of eco-friendly vehicles will be encouraged, while battery charging stations for e-bikes shall be made more commonly available.
It seems China is once again stepping up their green game in attempt to get environmental issues under control, adopting European measures with regards to waste and wasteful behaviour. There is hope yet.
