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ChopValue, a Canadian firm, transforms discarded chopsticks into furniture, demonstrating a viable circular economy model across global cities.

Canada-based firm ChopValue has achieved a milestone by reprocessing its hundred-millionth disposable chopstick, a ubiquitous utensil with a high waste volume in North America where up to 50 billion pairs are imported annually.

Turning them from trash to treasures, the company transforms the single-use bamboo sticks into furniture, from desks to cabinets, and increasingly, restaurant interiors, including McDonald's.

ChopValue, which started its operations in 2016, is now active in 12 global cities, collaborating with restaurants, schools, offices, and even Vancouver International Airport to recycle the discarded utensils.

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According to its founder, Felix Böck, the company employs a unique "urban harvest" process to sanitize, sort, and repurpose the chopsticks, converting them into various furniture items.

According to Fast Company, the firm also stands out for its "decentralized microfactory" model, significantly reducing transport emissions by opening a small factory in each location it operates.

By also manufacturing restaurant furniture from donated chopsticks, ChopValue demonstrates a viable circular economy model, a move already in progress with Pacific Poke, a chain of poke eateries in Western Canada.

Eunice is a sustainability writer whose passion is sharing accessible eco-friendly practices with GreenCitizen's global readership. She enjoys birdwatching during her downtime, often deriving inspiration from nature's resilience. An enthusiastic cyclist, she is also an ardent advocate of eco-friendly transport.

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