Volunteers promote portable chopsticks cases during a charity sale at the Zijingshan Square in Zhengzhou, capital of the central Chinese province of Henan on Sunday, March 1, 2009. [Photo: zynews.com]
A group of twelve environmentally conscious residents in the central Chinese city of Zhengzhou volunteered to ask pedestrians at the downtown Zijingshan Square to bring their own chopsticks when dining out, Zhengzhou Daily reports.
They were joined by students from local universities' 2,000 member strong Charity Chopsticks Sales Alliance.
The volunteers offered portable chopsticks cases for 10 yuan each. An estimated 3,000 cases were sold and the proceeds will go to primary schools in the earthquake stricken Sichuan province.
One-time-use chopsticks are the standard eating utensils in Chinese restaurants. The volunteers estimated that an average urban Chinese uses 4,000 pairs of one-time-use chopsticks in his or her lifetime, which take timber from 20 years old aspen tree to produce. According to them, large forest areas can be saved by bringing one's own chopsticks to restaurants.
The volunteers also adviced that March 11th be made an annual "Day of Chopsticks", by which a nationwide awareness of environmental protection can be promoted.
