Government canteens in Shenzhen stopped using disposable chopsticks June 5, as a move to mark World Environment Day, which fell on that day.

Vice Mayor Lu Ruifeng and director of the environmental protection bureau Guo Yurong became the first officials to dine at a government canteen with reusable chopsticks and bowls after a brief ceremony in the Citizens' Center.

Some 40,000 other officials and government employees across the city used stainless steel dishware in place of disposable ones for the first time on the same day.

Li Jing, director of the logistics administration bureau, told the Shenzhen Daily that the move could save more than 5,000 pairs of disposable chopsticks every day in the two major government canteens alone.

"At least 1.8 million pairs of chopsticks or 20 trees can be saved from the two canteens every year," said Li. The move can save about 120,000 yuan (US$15,000) for local taxpayers every year.

However, Guangdong is a province with a high hepatitis infection rate. To protect diners' health, all dishware will be sterilized.

At least 24 million pairs of disposable chopsticks are used in Shenzhen every day, equal to 240 seven-meter-high trees.

Li said the municipal government saved more than 930,000 yuan a month after using water and energy-saving devices in the Citizens' Center.

"We save another 1.6 million yuan last year during environmental protection activities," he said.

(Shenzhen Daily June 6, 2006)