ChopValue First West Coast Microfactory Location in Las Vegas

Recycling Chopsticks to make housewares, furniture, and custom projects

LAS VEGAS, Nov. 17, 2022 /PRNewswire/ -- ChopValue, a leading manufacturer of sustainable products utilizing the circular economy model, is excited to announce its first West Coast franchise in the vibrant city of Las Vegas. With Microfactories already in Canada, Mexico, Europe and Asia, this addition will be its first of many in the United States, as ChopValue works to create a micro-manufacturing network that will help build back better with a socially responsible approach.

Las Vegas is a world-class entertainment and food destination hub that has been growing its focus on social impact and sustainability. With a population of 2.3 million and more than 40 million visitors annually from all corners of the world, there is immense potential for urban harvest for a greener future. ChopValue Las Vegas will lead by example and demonstrate its circular economy that will collect chopsticks from hundreds of local Asian restaurants, hotels, and casinos.

Las Vegas native, Brooks Smith, will launch the first US operation – a new ChopValue Microfactory - in Las Vegas designed to help the city look at chopsticks as a sustainable product. As a franchise owner, Smith has already aligned a recycling program with more than 100 Las Vegas-based Asian and Fusion restaurants, collecting over 5 million discarded chopsticks that will undergo the proprietary ChopValue process and be remanufactured.

"Growing up in Las Vegas, I have watched the city grow and mature as a leader in sustainability, and I want to be a part of that journey," said Brooks Smith, owner of ChopValue Las Vegas. "Coming from a restaurant family, taking elements from the F&B world and embracing this new wave of circular economy in my hometown."

Brooks had traveled the world and submerged himself into a realm of professional photography when he began seeing life differently through the eye of a camera lens. This journey of personal self-discovery redirected him towards wanting to be integral to a positive change - reducing individual carbon footprint. This research and passion led him to the introduction to ChopValue. 

ChopValue was founded in 2016 by Felix Böck, who holds a Wood Technology & Industrial Engineering degree from Germany. He was pursuing a PhD in structural bamboo composites in Vancouver, BC, when he was inspired by the vast amount of under-utilized wood resources from demolished construction sites. Böck tried to implement a regional program to tackle urban wood waste, but didn't gain enough interest, so he established ChopValue to show how a relatable material like chopsticks can become a feasible business opportunity through resource efficiency.

Since then, the company has given over 83 million chopsticks a second life, diverting them from landfills to lead by example with a viable circular economy. After collecting the chopsticks from hundreds of restaurant partners, they are sorted at local Microfactories where the production process begins. The innovative material is transformed into sustainable products and custom solutions.

"We want to join the locals of Las Vegas and the mega-casino industry to continue a forward thinking of making more environmentally conscious choices," he said. I'm pleased we can help businesses address the urgency of climate change in a way that provides significant value in job opportunities and the creation of a new resource," said Felix Böck, Founder and CEO of ChopValue. "We've felt an overwhelming amount of support from the US market who shop with us online and with this new key location run by Smith's team, we're one step closer to being as local as possible to our customers and minimize our carbon footprint."

From huge solar arrays to implementing food waste solutions, Las Vegas' commitment to bringing more sustainable initiatives is paving the way for a thriving circular economy Microfactory. ChopValue's Las Vegas Microfactory is now open for corporate business following the ChopValue showroom and retail hub which are set to open to the public in Spring 2023.

Las Vegas is excited to build the first location of a "waste-to-resource" micro-manufacturing network in the US and hopes to inspire other value-aligned business partners to join. Get in touch with the team if you have chopsticks to recycle or for opportunities that make an environmental impact at [email protected], and follow their journey through social media at @chopvalue_lasvegas. ChopValue is located at 965 White Drive, Las Vegas, Nev. 89119.

The World Economic Forum forecasts the circular economy to be a $4.5 trillion industry by 2030. ChopValue is the world's first circular economy franchise, designing and manufacturing products using an innovative, high-performance material engineered entirely from recycled chopsticks. Since its founding in 2016, ChopValue's "urban harvesting" approach has saved over 83 million chopsticks from landfill, turning them into beautiful and sustainable products for the home and office. Their compelling vision to redefine the term "waste" to "resource" has garnered the attention of top-tier media outlets such as Business Insider, BBC, The Guardian, and Forbes. To learn more about their resource-efficient impact for a carbon-neutral future, please visit www.chopvalue.com.

With ChopValue's global network of corporate and franchise Microfactories, the company sources, manufactures, distributes, and employs within local communities. They are expanding with like-minded and purpose-driven partners to redefine waste to resource, one chopstick at a time. ChopValue is actively seeking single and multi-unit franchise development partners who want to lead the change in their community within the US states of CA, FL, HI, NY and TX. The international expansion opportunities for their first-of-its-kind circular concept include Australia, EU, MENA region, Japan, Korea, Taiwan, Hong Kong, and the SEA region. Learn more about how you can make a positive environmental impact in your city by visiting www.chopvalue.com/pages/franchising.

SOURCE ChopValue