餐厅现在也很重视环保，不仅仅吃的东西要环保，用的也要环保。一次性筷子的使用曾经带来过很多方便，但是现在一次性筷子已经在大多数地方消失了。

More and more people in China are now doing their part to conserve energy and resources in their daily lives. Restaurants have had a big influence in paving the way for others to follow. One example is that most restaurants have stopped using disposable chopsticks, and have also made the switch to using biodegradable containers and other environmentally conscious items.

China is the largest manufacturer of disposable chopsticks in the world. The country has over 300 plants consisting of a workforce of about 60,000 people. The Chinese alone use 45 billion pairs of disposable chopsticks a year, which translates into 25 million full-grown trees, just for chopsticks, every year. What can people do about it? They can make the switch and stop using disposable chopsticks and start using reusable ones, now. Making the switch is efficient, cost-effective and good for the environment. So far, restaurant patrons in Beijing have enjoyed the changes restaurants have made.

Paul Astephen is the owner of Excel Bistro in Beijing. It's a restaurant that serves both Chinese and western food. Since it opened in September of 2008, the restaurant has never used disposable chopsticks.

"Well, I have been in China for eight years, and I know that China's government plants 500 million trees a year to combat the loss of forest and trees. It's amazing how many trees have been planted every year. Using reusable chopsticks is much better for the environment. We need the trees. Without trees, you don't have good oxygen in the air. So I'm using reusable chopsticks (in the restaurant). It's easy to wash them. We wash them thoroughly before they go back to service."

So what about the customers? What do they think of using reusable chopsticks as opposed to disposable ones? Zuo Jiaying often eats lunch at the restaurant. She prefers the reusable chopsticks.

"Using disposable chopsticks is very bad for the environment. Now we are trying to build a low-carbon society, so everybody needs to pay attention to this issue. And the pollution is becoming more and more serious, so I think it's better to use the reusable chopsticks the restaurant offers us."

One restaurant patron, surnamed Cai, is a travel-lover who also agrees people should reduce their use of disposable chopsticks.

"In my opinion, I prefer reusable tableware to disposable ones. Resources on the earth are very limited, so we should make better use of them, especially wood resources. So I choose to use reusable chopsticks when I eat in the restaurant. I think protecting the environment should start from the trivial things in our life, no matter where you are traveling or just eating outside."

Other than eating at restaurants, people also need to keep the environment in mind when taking food back home. Lucy Zhang is the head waitress at Excel Bistro, and talks about the biodegradable food container which is available for take away food.

"The cutlery box is relatively environmentally conscious. It's made of high quality plastic, which enables it to be used in a microwave, and can be used multiple times after you wash it. Nowadays people are more aware of environmental issues. I think if you want to protect the environment, you should use disposable utensils less. Pay attention to your daily behavior. Our world will eventually be a greener and better place to live."

Besides using reusable utensils, there are other environment-friendly practices the restaurant implements as well.

Ken Lian is the executive operation manager of the restaurant. He talked about ways in which the restaurant saves energy and other resources.

"We turn off the lights in the large section after the rush lunch hour, which saves a lot of electric power. We also ask our chef to check the places which are easy to leak gas, water and electricity."

Waitress Fay Wang explains how to save water by using a dishwasher while cleaning tableware.

"The tableware is washed by hands before going into the dishwasher. Before we turn on the dishwasher, we put enough water in the machine, and use the same amount of water to clean all the plates, glasses and chopsticks. The machine uses a high-temperature sterilization to make sure the dishes are clean. In this way we can save more water than just by washing with our hands."

Excel Bistro is just one restaurant doing all it can to help the environment. Mr. Astephen believes other restaurants can do their part as well.

"I think everybody in the restaurant industry has to take part and try to save energy, try to save the environment, especially chopsticks which is one of the biggest things in China being used. Millions of trees every year go down just for chopsticks, and I think using reusable chopsticks is acceptable providing they are washed thoroughly and sanitized before they are used again. I think everybody has to take part in this in China."

Solving China's environment issues is a long and collective journey, but just like any journey, in order to reach the destination a first step has to be taken. China's restaurants have already been taking those steps and have inspired others to do the same. It will only be a small matter of time before China, and the world, begin to see the effects. For now, the very least anyone can do is to make the switch, and stop using disposable chopsticks.

For China Radio International, I'm Lance Crayon.

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