Disposable Chopsticks

By: Olivia Dorenkamp 
Introduction:
     We see chopsticks being used all over the world in millions of restaurants mostly Asian cuisines that use wooden disposable chopsticks. Those chopsticks that are thrown away cause a huge threat to our environment. Not all disposable chopsticks present a hazard but most do. Many different types of chopsticks are made from wood, plastics, even bamboo that when thrown away is considered unsustainable. Millions of mature trees are cut just to have those single-use chopsticks that end up in the trash. ”According to a 2008 United Nations report, 10,800 square miles of Asian forest are disappearing each year, a trend that must be arrested to fight climate change, given the vital role trees play in absorbing carbon dioxide” (Nuwer). Disposable Wooden Chopsticks are not only made of wood but some contain industrial chemicals that get into our bodies and when thrown away it creates chemical runoff that leads back into our bodies. Wooden chopsticks require a whitening process where they are dipped in sulfur, leading to the sulfur getting into the pores of the wood. When the chopsticks are heated the sulfur chemicals get released with heat ending up in places we don’t want them. With the health risks and manufacturing of these disposable chopsticks it posies a terrible threat to our environment and future generations. 
Brief History: 
        Chopsticks are considered to be pretty ancient they have been around since 1200 B.C in Asian continents(Butler). In the beginning, Japanese chopsticks were viewed as precious and only used for religious practices. In China, it is said that confusion played a huge role in the rise of chopsticks. The Chinese philosopher mentioned that anything sharp on the table while eating will remind people of slaughterhouse violence. Chopsticks were first used to cook and then eventually turned into an eating utensil. Having ivory, jade, coral brass or agate versions of chopsticks you were considered privileged. This was because wealthier people were able to afford those expensive materials. There are many different chopstick styles used for a specific purpose when eating sweets, meals, cooking, and even funerals. In 1878 in Japan is when and where the first disposable chopsticks were made. (Butler) To this day we are seeing disposable chopsticks across the globe that have a life cycle of baggage deteriorating ourselves and our home. Once we break the two wooden pieces we are committed and are apart of the disposable chopstick’s life cycle. These chopsticks already take a lot to be made by taking land for manufacturing and also making. The beginning of the life cycle starts within a single mature tree that gets taken of its life for the benefit of one meal. Then these toxic chemical chopsticks are being used by consumers of some restaurants who offer them. After the use, they are thrown away and their chemicals end up in our bodies and in our soil. This does not have to be the case if we use reusable chopsticks. 
Lens framework 1: Social Construction of Nature
    In the text-book ‘Environment and Society’ we have learned that deforestation is an abrupt action caused by corporations who are carefree about sustainability. Trees are what give us oxygen, clean our soils, produce shelter so how could we not care for them? The main environmental cause of disposable chopsticks is deforestation. We are seeing deforestation happening all over the world for a long term sacrifice for a short term gain. “At 4,000 chopsticks per tree, that's roughly 80 billion chopsticks per year -- far more than the 57 billion estimated by the country's national forest bureau’ (Dewey). China is where most of the manufacturing is occurring with wood products. ‘China and Japan are the world’s biggest producers and consumers of disposable chopsticks, with an annual rate of 80 billion for China alone. This requires 200 million trees a year” (Song). This leads to other problems, deforestation not only harms mature trees but it also affects and destroys ecosystems, killing most of the biodiversity in that area. During the time disposable chopsticks started manufacturing is when major deforestation started happening all over Asia. Wooden or bamboo chopsticks are more accessible and inexpensive so they get used more. This caught the government's attention that this is unsustainable with the amount of deforestation required.” In 2007, China imposed a tax on wooden chopsticks with the goal of helping the environment” (Nuwer). However, the increase of disposable chopsticks could have gone up in recent years. Deforestation affects climate change on a large scale, trees are our insurance (Bennett). 
Lens framework 2: Risks and Hazards 
  Usually, when getting take out at Asian restaurants we pick up disposable chopsticks to eat at home and then throw them away after eating. However, when sitting down at an Asian restaurant they usually have plastic reusable chopsticks for you. Why is this? Well, disposable chopsticks are considered to be easier as they are known as single-use chopsticks. What are the risks of using disposable chopsticks? Wooden chopsticks cannot be washed and reused due to the chemical called sulfur dioxide that is released when they get hot for example when being used to cook, eat hot foods, or like being washed. Most chopsticks are used when eating a hot bowl of pho when the sulfur is transparent so consumers are unaware. Sulfur dioxide is a toxic gas that forms when sulfur is burned in the air. In addition to that, when consumed it can cause a lot of health risks. “In 2005, a Chinese consumer council warned that sulfur dioxide from throwaway chopsticks was connected with an increase in asthma and respiratory problems” ( Rodgers ). If the sulfur is released and consumed it can cause major health problems for an individual that leads to trouble breathing.
 When these easily thrown away disposable chopsticks end up in the trash and the streets of our neighborhoods they create a chemical runoff. This runoff affects our whole environment due to the single use of disposable chopsticks. The toxic chemicals get into our streets by naturally occurring processes. With these naturally occurring processes, it can affect our soil where we get most of our food and destroy drinking water. So it is understandable and easy to simply just throw them away without knowing how much impact they have on the environment not to mention all the trees being used. 

Conclusion:
       Looking at the overall manufacturing and disposing of the product, there can be multiple effects on the environment. Chopsticks are not only utensils they hold a lot of baggage, baggage that fills the world with health risks and environmental problems. We are seeing deforestation happening leading to wildlife and global warming, chemicals leading in our bodies and streets, for the cost of one meal. It’s important to use reusable chopsticks and understand the effects of disposable chopsticks. This one product is affecting our entire planet and takes part in global warming that affects every living thing on Earth and it must be stopped. Many industries are hurting the environment and the disposable chopstick industry is one of them. No one would have anticipated the use of chopsticks having so much background in essentially hurting the environment. So what can we do? A small difference can make a large effect and we can make one if we start by buying reusable chopsticks. 

References 
Bennett,lauren. ‘Deforestation and Climate Change’Climate Institute, 18 April. 2017, http://climate.org/deforestation-and-climate-change/

Butler, S. (2019). A Brief History of Chopsticks. [online] HISTORY. Available at: https://www.history.com/news/a-brief-history-of-chopsticks [Accessed 17 Dec. 2019].

Dewey , caitlin. ‘China's disposable chopstick addiction is destroying its forests’The Washington Post,WP Company, 29 April. 2019, https://www.washingtonpost.com/news/worldviews/wp/2013/03/14/chinas-disposable-chopstick-addiction-is-destroying-its-forests/

Nuwer, Rachel. “Disposable Chopsticks Strip Asian Forests.” The New York Times, The New York Times, 24 Oct. 2011, https://green.blogs.nytimes.com/2011/10/24/disposable-chopsticks-strip-asian-forests/.

Rodgers , greg. “Watch Out: Those Disposable Chopsticks May Be Poisonous!”TripSavvy, TripSavvy, 08 Jan. 2019, https://www.tripsavvy.com/disposable-chopsticks-may-be-poisonous-3976797

Song, Juliet. ‘5 Reasons Not to Use Disposable Chinese-Made Chopsticks”www.theepochtimes.com, 05 Feb. 2016, https://www.theepochtimes.com/5-reasons-not-to-use-disposable-chinese-made-chopsticks_1958401.html

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