Disposable chopsticks are used casually in restaurants and other places and disposed of. 98% of the disposable chopsticks we use are imported from overseas.

Disposable chopsticks manufactured from wood that took 3~4 years to grow take weeks to reach consumers, and are disposed of in large quantities after only a few hours of use.There are two main types of disposable chopsticks: wooden and bamboo. Wooden disposable chopsticks can be reused for paper and other purposes, but bamboo disposable chopsticks are difficult to reuse due to the problem of the fibers that remain in them.

One company working to solve these problems is “TerrUP”, based in Kyoto, Japan.TerrUP develops and sells the TAKEZEN TABLE, an upcycled table made from bamboo disposable chopsticks.

The development of TAKEZEN TABLE was inspired by Yuichi Murakami, the president of the company, who was working at a restaurant when he saw a large number of disposable chopsticks being thrown away after a banquet and wondered “if they could be recycled as a “material” called wood.”

 

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TerrUP then developed upcycled furniture that maximizes the design and characteristics of bamboo disposable chopsticks by collaborating with companies such as disposable chopstick wholesalers and molding processors, and establishing a system for collecting used disposable chopsticks and molding the collected disposable chopsticks.

The top panel expresses the natural grain of the wood, which is a natural mixture of sooty bamboo-colored and white disposable chopsticks. The surface of the top panel is finished to be so smooth to the touch that it is hard to believe that they were originally disposable chopsticks. The surface hardness is equivalent to that of melamine laminated boards commonly used as table tops, making it suitable for commercial use.

Top panel and iron legs can be freely combined

TerrUP also stated in a press release about this project, “Considering the CO2 emitted before disposing of disposable chopsticks and the proper recycling of abandoned bamboo forests and forests in Japan, it is best that disposable or washable chopsticks made in Japan are used in restaurants and hotels.

However, chopsticks are an essential part of business formation. Considering the cost, the good handling of disposable chopsticks, and the atmosphere created in restaurants and hotels, it is practically difficult to change to domestically produced disposable and washable chopsticks in all restaurants and hotels, and we believe that imported bamboo disposable chopsticks will never be reduced to zero.This is why we started this project to extend the use of bamboo disposable chopsticks as long as possible.” He said.

The ultimate goal of the project is to establish a cycle in which bamboo disposable chopsticks collected from restaurants and hotels are once again returned to the same place as a different product.

In addition to upcycled furniture, TerrUP also makes coasters, cheese plates, cutlery rests, and other accessories, which are featured in its online store and on Instagram.

According to the website of the Ministry of the Environment, the amount of disposable chopsticks used in Japan is about 25 billion pairs per year, which is about 200 pairs per capita.The majority of these chopsticks are used mainly in restaurants and convenience stores. The mass disposal of disposable chopsticks is an issue that is always close to home for restaurants.

The introduction of TerrUP’s upcycled items by restaurants would be one way to encourage them to solve the problem. TerrUP items, which are unique in appearance, will be a good opportunity to communicate with customers visiting hotels and restaurants. How about communicating your company’s stance to customers through the upcycling of “disposable chopsticks”?

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[Reference Site] TerrUP
[Reference Site] Ministry of the Environment: Environmental Initiatives Starting with “Chopsticks”