Justin Lee, GM of Chop Value Singapore, joins the podcast to shed light on the topic of upcycling chopsticks into furniture, and the potential of this material for many more projects!With the Budding Innovation team, we dive deep into the subject matter of sustainability, green washing, the challenges of sustainability and the importance of an integrated, hyperlocal operation to keep a green operation, green.This and more, on #BeInnovative #podcast by #BuddingInnovation About Chop Value: To learn more about Chop Value's mission and works, visit http://www.chopvalue.com.sg

About Budding Innovation: Visit http://www.buddinginnovation.com to find out more about Strategic Foresight, Market Expansion in Asia and more business growth opportunities.

00:11 Welcome to Be Innovative!

00:28 Meet our guest - Justin Lee

00:44 What led to a $1 million investment into sustainability

01:52 Justin's background

02:01 Getting introduced to ChopValue through an online video

03:44 An overview of today's podcast

04:04 Why upcycle chopsticks?

06:20 Describe the process from collections to woodworking; Step 1: Collections

09:52 Step 2: What happens in the Microfactory

10:39 Step 3: Water-based Resin and Heat Treatment

12:06 You can upcycle stained chopsticks?

13:27 What other materials can be upcycled from an urban harvest?

14:41 How do you identify and tackle Greenwashing?

15:49 Greenwashing 101

16:46 What people get and don't get about carbon

17:09 Many people don't get the hyperlocal concept

17:54 ChopValue SG's expansion plans

18:42 Is there a market for waste import/export for Chopsticks?

20:18 What's your take on the industry in 5 years time?

23:15 Exploring more timber alternatives with ChopValue

24:20 Comparing Price Points and Target Audiences

27:02 Here's why Industry players are more collaborative than competitive

27:23 ChopValue SG's largest project to date

28:12 The Closing Question: How can this become Mainstream?