Chopsticks are taking a toll on forests in Japan and it is becoming an issue of national concern. It seems the Japanese throw away more than 25 billion pair of disposable wooden and bamboo chopsticks a year.......

At first glance it seems like an easy problem to solve... just stop using so many disposable ones and wash and reuse chopsticks. But the solution is not that simple.

The Japanese culture is an eat out a lot culture. Many apartments don't even have a kitchen.... just a small corner with a small fridge and maybe a single burner or a microwave. Space is at a premium and apartments are tiny. Residents spend very little time at home, and habitually eat their meals out. And most meals are eaten with chopsticks.

Wooden or bamboo chopsticks function better than plastic or metal ones as the small irregularities in the wood or bamboo grip the food better than the slick surface of plastic or metal ones. However, that same porous texture makes wooden or bamboo chopstick difficult to sterilize between users, so most restaurants dispense disposable and therefore much more sanitary chopsticks with their meals.....

That means billions and billions of chopsticks being thrown away each year.