Since 2016, Felix B枚ck鈥檚 company ChopValue has been taking used bamboo chopsticks from restaurants in Canada and the US, and transforming them into attractive wooden tiles which are used in a range of furniture and homewares. A simple idea, born from a passionate aversion to waste. 鈥淭hese chopsticks travel 6,000 miles to arrive on your dining table for 20 to 30 minutes,鈥� B枚ck told the Guardian. 鈥淵ou can鈥檛 possibly feel good about throwing them out afterwards.” B枚ck, who has a background in wood engineering in Germany, was studying for a PhD in structural bamboo composites in Vancouver when inspiration struck as he was eating his favourite meal 鈥� sushi.
鈥淚 had an eye-opening moment when I connected the chopsticks I ate dinner with to the vast amount of under-utilized wood resources from demolished construction sites,鈥� he explained in an interview with Forbes. 鈥淚 had been trying to implement a regional program to tackle urban wood waste, but it fell on deaf ears 鈥� so I thought the humble little chopstick was a more relatable resource to show how you can build viable business opportunities from resource efficiency.鈥�
B枚ck developed a way of cleaning the used chopsticks, and using heat, steam and pressure to turn them into versatile blocks. He began partnering with local restaurants, which quickly overcame any scepticism and appreciated the value in turning their trash into something useful.