Taxing chopsticks to save timber

China has slapped a 5% tax on chopsticks over concerns of deforestation. The move is hitting hard at the Japanese, who consume a tremendous 25 billion sets of wooden choptsticks a year (97% come from China). Chinese exporters have responded to the tax and other cost increases by raising prices by 30% and a planned additional 20% is pending. Hang on to those old wooden sticks or switch over to the petroleum based plastic resuable ones.