Chopsticks & Skewers

Trash Container Organics (Food and Yard) Container

Using resuable chopsticks are always recommended in lieu of disposable chopsticks. 

  • Disposable wooden chopsticks can be placed in the organics container.
  • Plastic chopsticks are too small to be recycled and should be placed in the trash.
compost

Compost Wooden Chopsticks

Instead of disposing of them as waste, consider adding wooden chopsticks to your compost pile. They decompose more slowly than food, but will break down eventually.

Ways to Reduce

single use chopsticks

Say "No" to Takeout Chopsticks

When you get takeout, leave disposable chopsticks at the restaurant, and use reusable chopsticks at home instead. You can find reusable options made out of plastic, wood, stainless steel or porcelain.

Invest in Reusable Metal Skewers

Purchasing reusable metal skewers is always recommended in lieu of wooden disposable skewers to cut down on the amount of waste generated.

Did You Know?

Chopsticks and Deforestation

China now produces over 57 billion pairs of wooden chopsticks per year. The demand for these disposable chopsticks results in the harvest of 3.8 million trees annually. Disposable chopsticks continue to be produced at increasing rates in spite of the loss of 30 percent of China’s forests in the last 50 years. Read more from the Huffington Post.

Edible Chopsticks?

Perhaps the most eco-friendly chopstick is one that you can eat. Japanese designer Nobuhiko Arikawa of the company Rice-Design created edible chopsticks and other tableware out of baked flour, water, and salt, a combination known as sailor’s hardtack.