Image for Chop and change: the company recycling chopsticks into beautiful homewares

Chop and change: the company recycling chopsticks into beautiful homewares

With almost 33m diverted from landfill so far, a German engineer and his team are giving used bamboo utensils a new lease of life

With almost 33m diverted from landfill so far, a German engineer and his team are giving used bamboo utensils a new lease of life

Felix Böck, who has a background in wood engineering in Germany, was studying for a PhD in structural bamboo composites in Canada, when inspiration struck over a meal of sushi.

Böck launched ChopValue to recycle old bamboo chopsticks into a range of homewares and furniture, from desks to dominos and from chopping blocks to tables.

Decorative wall tiles made of bamboo chopsticks

ChopValue saves old chopsticks and turns them into a range of products. Image: ChopValue

Böck says that almost 33m chopsticks have already been saved from landfill and turned into new products. Now, the team plans to expand its network of ‘microfactories’ globally, to be able to manufacture and sell locally, wherever customers are around the world.

Main image: ChopValue

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