Not-so-disposable chopsticks 🥢
Staring up at piles of bagged chopsticks I could’t help but be in awe and terrified all at the same time.
On one hand, it was amazing to see how many chopsticks had been saved from the landfill and would soon become one of the beautiful products I had just finished admiring in the Chop Value YYC show room. On the other hand, I was overwhelmed by the shear volume of waste that was created just from chopsticks.
In mid December, Mat and I reached out to Chop Value YYC about carrying their products in our store and were invited to come check out their micro factory and meet the franchise owner, Joanne. After Mat and I checked out the show room, enthusiastically touching and holding charcuterie platters, cribbage boards, coasters, phone stands and more all made out of recycled chopsticks, Joanne welcomed us back to the workshop to understand what went into each piece.
While Joanne walked us through the amazing process of turning trash into treasures, my eyes kept darting back to the mountain of bagged chopsticks looming over us. It really made me think about how much gets thrown “away” on a daily basis. It was too real.
Sitting here, months later, I can easily see how people feel overwhelmed trying to live more sustainably. Gazing up at the Mt. Robson of chopsticks, I had that What’s the point? moment myself. This was but a small representation of what was headed to the landfills every day from take out restaurants alone!
But that is the point of trying to be more sustainable. Here was one company that saw an opportunity to deal with a fraction of the waste we create and was doing something about it. Just one small franchise in a larger network that have been popping up across the world and it all started from one micro factory in Vancouver. One person’s idea and attempt to do good, multiplied and continues to multiply.
This is what Greenbriar is about! Encouraging enough people to to make small swaps so that we have a large impact as a whole. We don’t need to do it perfectly. We just need to do it! Whether for your health or the health of our only home, we can make a difference one change at at a time.
Refill a plastic bottle with us just once, and you’ve already doubled the life expectancy of what that bottle was created for.
Purchase products made from recycled window frames and fridge parts and you’ve reduced waste headed to the landfill and the need for virgin plastics!
Talk soon,
Shawn
