In a survey by Chinese Website www.sina.com, 73 percent of the 25,000 respondents said they would avoid using disposable wooden chopsticks when a tax is imposed on them next month.

China announced last week its plan to impose a five-percent consumption tax on disposable wooden chopsticks as of April 1 this year, in a bid to discourage their use as they are a waste of timber resources.

Though experts in the catering industry said the tax on each pair of chopsticks is very small, the idea behind the policy is much more important.

"The adjustment of consumption tax indicates that the government is paying more attention to sustainable development," said Gao Huiqing, an official with the State Information Center.

Ranging from street dining alcoves to delicately decorated restaurants, disposable wooden chopsticks have become typical tools for the Chinese.

The production of disposable chopsticks uses up China's forests at a rate of 1.3 million cubic meters of timber or 2 million cubic meters of forests each year, the Ministry of Finance said.

China sells 10 million boxes of wooden chopsticks domestically and exports about 6 million boxes each year, which amounts to 15 billion pairs of chopsticks, according to the ministry.

In order to help protect the environment by reducing consumption of timber resources, and narrow the gap between the poor and the rich by collecting a consumption tax on the luxury items, China will also impose a five percent tax on wooden floor panels.

The country has also imposed a 10-percent tax on yachts, golf balls and golf clubs, and a 20-percent tax on luxury watches.

Source: Xinhua