Each year, the Japanese use 23 to 25 billion pairs of disposable chopsticks — that's about 200 pairs for each person. The usage is so high that the Japanese government added a chopsticks tax because of the deforestation problem associated with the high use. Trying to keep the prices low, chopstick importers in Japan have started buying bamboo chopsticks, as bamboo is a more sustainable material.
More chopstick facts:
- Each year, China produces more than 45 billion pairs of chopsticks.
- China exports about 1/3 of its overall chopstick production to Japan and South Korea.
- The remaining 30 billion pairs of chopsticks are used in China.
- 45 billion pairs of chopsticks equals about 25 million trees.