9 9 0 ▁to ▁ 5 5 0 ▁tons ▁in ▁ 1 9 9 9 . ▁ ▁China ▁produces ▁about ▁ 5 7 ▁billion ▁pairs ▁of ▁single - use ▁ch op st icks ▁year ly , ▁of ▁which ▁half ▁are ▁export ed . ▁About ▁ 4 5 ▁percent ▁are ▁made ▁from ▁trees ▁– ▁about ▁ 3 . 8 ▁million ▁of ▁them ▁– ▁mainly ▁cot ton ▁wood , ▁bir ch , ▁and ▁spr uce , ▁the ▁remainder ▁being ▁made ▁from ▁b am bo o . ▁Japan ▁uses ▁about ▁ 2 4 ▁billion ▁pairs ▁of ▁these ▁dispos ables ▁per ▁year , ▁and ▁glob ally ▁about ▁ 8 0 ▁billion ▁pairs ▁are ▁thrown ▁away ▁by ▁about ▁ 1 . 4 ▁million ▁people . ▁Re usable ▁ch op st icks ▁in ▁restaur ants ▁have ▁a ▁lif es pan ▁of ▁ 1 3 0 ▁me als . ▁In ▁Japan , ▁with ▁dispos able ▁ones ▁cost ing ▁about ▁ 2 ▁c ents ▁and ▁re usable ▁ones ▁cost ing ▁typically ▁$ 1 . 1 7 , ▁the ▁re us ables ▁better ▁the ▁$ 2 . 6 0 ▁bre ake ven ▁cost . ▁Camp aign s ▁in ▁several ▁countries ▁to ▁reduce ▁this ▁waste ▁are ▁beginning ▁to ▁have ▁some ▁effect . ▁ ▁W aste ▁and ▁so cio e conom ic ▁status ▁Gar bage ▁produced ▁because ▁of ▁the ▁rise ▁in ▁dispos able ▁products ▁is ▁often ▁sh ipped ▁from ▁rich er ▁to ▁poor er ▁nations , ▁causing ▁environmental ▁and ▁social ▁problems ▁for ▁developing ▁nations . ▁Most ▁notable ▁are ▁the ▁large ▁ship ments ▁of ▁tr