The forestry administration of Wuhan, capital of central China's
Hubei
Province, has decided not to ban the use of throwaway wooden
chopsticks. The decision follows extensive consultation and
evaluation as reported at the first session of the 11th Municipal
People's Congress of Wuhan, which ended a few days ago.
Last year, deputy to the Wuhan People's Congress, Chen Wenfeng
appealed for a ban on the use of the disposable chopsticks. The
forestry administration of the city then carried out detailed
investigations into the issue. They found the quota for cut timber
set for Wuhan by the Hubei provincial government was 160,000 cubic
meters per year in the period of the 10th Five-Year Plan. However
annual felling has not exceeded 30,000 cubic meters in recent
years, guaranteeing the rapid growth of reserves of standing
timber. Wuhan's area under timber has actually increased from some
9 percent in 1985 to a full 16 percent at present.
Several factories in Wuhan are engaged in the production of
disposable wooden chopsticks. The timber used is cut down in line
with the timber production plan and related forestry policies.
Poplar now grows on an area of some 100,000 mu (6,760 hectares).
This ensures reliable and sustainable supplies of timber available
to local industries, which in turn benefits the citizens of Wuhan.
The production of the single-use chopsticks is just one of the ways
in which the poplar is used.
So
far, the Chinese government has not promulgated any laws to ban the
production, sale or use of throwaway wooden chopsticks.
(china.org.cn translated by Zhang Tingting, January 21, 2003)