「使い捨て箸」がオフィス家具に!? From Used Chopsticks to Furnitures?

From Used Chopsticks to Tables: A Circular Future

KOKUYO, a major Japanese office supply and furniture manufacturer, has begun developing office furniture made from recycled disposable chopsticks. Their partner in this effort is ChopValue Manufacturing Japan, the local branch of a Canadian company known for circular manufacturing through chopstick upcycling.

Why chopsticks?

Japan uses an enormous number of disposable chopsticks. While they’re used worldwide, particularly in Asian cuisine, Japan stands out in sheer volume. ChopValue sees this as an untapped urban resource—and KOKUYO agrees.

What’s the process like?

Recycling chopsticks isn’t easy. There are legal and logistical barriers, especially around hygiene. That’s why KOKUYO is working with local governments to pilot collection systems, with the goal of building successful models and scaling them gradually.

This initiative is still in its early stages—but in the near future, we may start seeing chopstick collection boxes in offices, restaurants, and public spaces. Who knows—maybe the table you’re using right now at school or work was once a handful of disposable chopsticks!

And while this is an exciting step toward circularity, we can’t forget: resources aren’t infinite. Reducing our use of disposable items is just as important.

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