Bamboo chopsticks are some of the world's most popular utensils, but create their fair share of waste. A company in Vancouver, Canada, is giving them a new life.
Felix Bock, ChopValue founder says, "Sometimes a good idea starts with frustration"---when you understand how resource inefficient we are in our cities. I want to make sure to set an example of using chopsticks and create a viable business out of it."
ChopValue collects used chopsticks from local restaurants. The sticks are cleaned, infused （灌输，注入）with resin （树脂）and pressed into tiles （片板）."Our limitation was the size of the chopstick at the beginning — so I wanted to keep it very, very modular （组件的）and very micro, and that's how we developed the first hydraulic hot press （液压热压缩机）that presses 8 by 8 inch （20 by 20 centimetre） tile. It's very highly densified" he says. The tiles are used to make new products, including home decor （装饰）,kitchenware and table tops.
The company has recycled more than 25 million chopsticks to date. They hope to expand by taking their business model abroad. “Think of mass manufacturing today like Ikea would do it We're kind of the anti-Ikea and anti-Amazon. We don't want to ship products. We don't want to mass-produce in one location. We want to produce locally wherever you are — but to scale （按比例）,with a global design and a global brand of support in the back."
Some of the chopsticks have even been found a new life as decor in the restaurants where they were sourced from.
28. Why does Felix Bock start the company according to the text?
A. He wants to set an example of making chopsticks.
Felix Bock, ChopValue founder says, "Sometimes a good idea starts with frustration"---when you understand how resource inefficient we are in our cities. I want to make sure to set an example of using chopsticks and create a viable business out of it."
ChopValue collects used chopsticks from local restaurants. The sticks are cleaned, infused （灌输，注入）with resin （树脂）and pressed into tiles （片板）."Our limitation was the size of the chopstick at the beginning — so I wanted to keep it very, very modular （组件的）and very micro, and that's how we developed the first hydraulic hot press （液压热压缩机）that presses 8 by 8 inch （20 by 20 centimetre） tile. It's very highly densified" he says. The tiles are used to make new products, including home decor （装饰）,kitchenware and table tops.
The company has recycled more than 25 million chopsticks to date. They hope to expand by taking their business model abroad. “Think of mass manufacturing today like Ikea would do it We're kind of the anti-Ikea and anti-Amazon. We don't want to ship products. We don't want to mass-produce in one location. We want to produce locally wherever you are — but to scale （按比例）,with a global design and a global brand of support in the back."
Some of the chopsticks have even been found a new life as decor in the restaurants where they were sourced from.
28. Why does Felix Bock start the company according to the text?
A. He wants to set an example of making chopsticks.
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