BBC Learning English, Recycling chopsticks

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Recycling chopsticks

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manufacturing

Need-to-know language

resource – material to be used in producing something

 

infused –  filled with, covered in, or given the quality of

infuse 라는 단어가 infusion 차에 나왔기 때문에 스며들다 우러나오다 이런 뜻이라서 infused는 눈에 보일수도 있고 보이지 않을 수도 있는

색이나 물질 또는 기술이 스며들다 또는 녹여들다 정도의 뜻인것 같다.

 

modular – made of separate parts or processes that are combined to form a whole

press – machine for making things flat by applying weight.

mass-produce – make large numbers of something in a factory using machines

Answer this…

What are the chopstick-tiles used for?

Transcript

Bamboo chopsticks are some of the world's most popular utensils, but create their fair share of waste. A company in Vancouver, Canada, is giving them a new life.

Felix Bock, ChopValue founder 
Sometimes a good idea starts with frustration - when you understand how resourceinefficient we are in our cities. I wanted to make sure to set an example of using chopsticks and create a viable business out of it. 

ChopValue collects used chopsticks from local restaurants. The sticks are cleaned, infused with resin and pressed into tiles.

Felix Bock, ChopValue founder
Our limitation was the size of the chopstick at the beginning - so I wanted to keep it very, very modular and very micro, and that's how we developed the first hydraulic hot press that presses 8 by 8 inch (20 by 20 centimetre) tile that is very highly densified.

The tiles are used to make new products, including home decor, kitchenware and table tops.

The company has recycled more than 25 million chopsticks to date. They hope to expand by taking their business model abroad. 

Felix Bock, ChopValue founder
Think of mass manufacturing today like Ikea would do it. We're kind of the anti-Ikea and the anti-Amazon. We don't want to ship product. We don't want to mass-produce in one location. We want to produce locally wherever you are - but to scale, with a global design and a global brand of support in the back.

Some of the chopsticks have even found a new life as decor in the restaurants where they were sourced from.

Did you get it?

What are the chopstick-tiles used to produce?

They make new products including home decor, kitchenware and table tops.

 

to date (up to now)

viable (can survive)

scale (