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Giveaway Friday: Chinese Chopsticks Can Create A Cornucopia of Quality (Free Baskets!)

Before we get to this week’s Giveaway Friday, congratulations go out to Todd Howard.

According to Random.org, Todd won our giveaway from two weeks ago (everyone won last Friday) for An awesome cutting board!

On to this week’s Giveaway Friday!

In the summer of 2009, I volunteered to work for the Denver Green festival. It was a fantastic experience where I met a lot of amazing people.

I also learned new approaches that people are using on to solve some of the largest environmental problems the planet is facing today.

One of the neatest and most unique businesses I saw was at a booth manned by the inventor/creator of the chopstick basket.

Every year, millions of used wooden chopsticks are thrown out after just one use. They go to the landfill with other food scraps.

Over 25 million trees and bamboo plants are needed every year just to support how many chopsticks are used (in China alone). While chopsticks are most often wood and will break down, it seems strange that humans would go to all the expense and effort of creating a chopstick just to throw it out after a single use.

I guess there are lots of things like that, but an inventor in Oregon saw this as an opportunity.

Chopstick Art is the original idea of founder Bryan Parks, an American who lived in China for several years, and discovered that billions of chopsticks are thrown out in China every year.

Bryan decided to invent the chopstick basket.

Working with local Chinese and Thai food restaurants, he collects the old chopsticks, soaks and sterilizes them, and turns them into baskets and light fixtures.

They are decorative, stylish, functional, and made from something which is otherwise just tossed away.

Bryan calls his chopstick art “exquisitely designed accents of enduring quality and ecological significance.”

You took the words right out of my keyboard Bryan.

To be entered to win this awesome chopstick basket, all you have to do is follow the instructions below.

Step 1: Like this post on Facebook, Tweet it on Twitter, or +1 it on Google.

Step 2: Visit ChopstickArt.com (opens in new window)

Step 3: Post a comment about what you will do with this basket when you win. Post your comment here on this post (below).

29 thoughts on “Giveaway Friday: Chinese Chopsticks Can Create A Cornucopia of Quality (Free Baskets!)

  1. Mara

    What a great idea for recycling. And the basket is really nice looking.
    For household’s chopsticks I was told that they are reused, as actually my good friend from Thailand was highlighting how they are easier to clean than forks, where dirt get stuck in forks’ teeth.
    It also might be more natural to handle food with wood than with metal. What do you think?
    Thanks for another great post!
    Mara

  2. Ron Stubbington

    We spend a lot of time on our boat in the Caribbean and this is a great idea for keeping our fruit and vegies.

  3. Betty

    I think this is a fantastic recycle idea for chopsticks. I’ve always saved them for kindling but this a much better idea!

  4. Katy

    The basket looks awesome. Yet another ingenious way that we can recycle! I might even watch a few of this guys videos and give it a shot myself. It will probably come out a little van gogh style but it’s art so I can make mistakes and call it a new style 😉 this guy is amazing – good on all of you for spreading the word! If I had o be of these I would put fruit and veges in it and put it on my counter in the kitchen so everyone can see it when they come in.

  5. Randy

    I know my wife would love one of these. What a great idea! That’s one of those things that you say,why didn’t I think of that? Can’t wait to see what’s next!

  6. Lori Maki

    I would store my tomatoes in it on the table…it would look better than what I am using now…thank you for this contest!

  7. Mark Clifton

    My wife and I have just changed our nutrional intake…we’re not totally vegan yet, but have eliminated most harmful products: beef, pork, processed foods, etc. I also purchased a wonderful juicer that provides us with fresh vegetable and fruit juice that is bringing amazing results in our health. I am in my 60’s and I have more engergy right now than I did 30 years ago!!! We will display/store our fruits and some veggies in this lovely basket in our kitchen…and tell everyone about the site!!

  8. Kimberly

    My daughter would love this since she has oriental theme to her room. Thank you for letting us know about this website. )

  9. Carolyn Nichol

    Would give to my Sister that has her own home business making all natural homemade soaps, lotion bars, lotions, candles & tarts. Her husband makes furniture too & she could use it to display some of her products! Great idea!

    1. Jonathan Kraft

      Hey Carolyn! Congratulations! You’ve WON the chopstick basket (according to Random.org). I’ll send you an email privately to request the address where you would like us to send your chopstick basket.

      Congratulations and thanks for participating!

  10. Fay

    I’m reminded of a ditty I learned from an old friend:
    Use it up.
    wear it out.
    Make it do,
    Or do without.

    I make shopping bags from fabric remnants. They are strong enough to last a lifetime.

  11. Billy Whitfield

    The product I have heard of before but never saw much more after that. The baskets look to be very practical and decorative for multiple uses. I like it.

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