ChopValue is Upcycling Chopsticks into Unique Home Accessories
Ellen Smith — June 7, 2017 — Eco
References: chopvalue & huffingtonpost
Vancouver-based start-up ChopValue is designing aesthetically pleasing and sustainable repurposed chopstick decor for environmentally-friendly homes.
The company turns wood and bamboo chopsticks—that would have otherwise been thrown out after one meal—into tabletops, shelves and coasters. The products made from the recycled wood create a unique striped pattern, but due to the processing, the finished pieces don't resemble their original form. The home decor items are chic, practical and elicit a natural calming warmth.
The ChopValue team collects about 250,000 chopsticks per week from 65 different restaurant locations around the city, which is a sizeable portion of the 100,000 chopsticks which end up in Vancouver landfills daily. Founder Felix Böck says "It tells the story of how much underutilized resources we have in the urban environment,” and believes that viable business models can incorporate environmental sustainability.
The company turns wood and bamboo chopsticks—that would have otherwise been thrown out after one meal—into tabletops, shelves and coasters. The products made from the recycled wood create a unique striped pattern, but due to the processing, the finished pieces don't resemble their original form. The home decor items are chic, practical and elicit a natural calming warmth.
The ChopValue team collects about 250,000 chopsticks per week from 65 different restaurant locations around the city, which is a sizeable portion of the 100,000 chopsticks which end up in Vancouver landfills daily. Founder Felix Böck says "It tells the story of how much underutilized resources we have in the urban environment,” and believes that viable business models can incorporate environmental sustainability.
Trend Themes
1. Sustainable Home Decor - Disruptive innovation opportunity: Develop sustainable and eco-friendly home decor products using recycled materials to address the growing demand for environmentally-friendly living.
2. Upcycling - Disruptive innovation opportunity: Create innovative upcycling methods to transform waste products into functional and aesthetically pleasing home accessories.
3. Circular Economy - Disruptive innovation opportunity: Embrace circular economy principles to design products made from recycled and repurposed materials that minimize waste and reduce environmental impact.
Industry Implications
1. Sustainable Manufacturing - Disruptive innovation opportunity: Integrate sustainable practices into manufacturing processes to minimize waste and carbon footprint while producing quality and innovative products.
2. Eco-friendly Home Decor - Disruptive innovation opportunity: Build a product line of sustainable home decor products that are both functional and stylish and made from recycled materials that resonate with consumers' environmental values.
3. Waste Management - Disruptive innovation opportunity: Develop new waste management strategies to reduce the amount of waste that ends up in landfills by creatively repurposing discarded materials into valuable products.
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