Fun Facts
When I was a youngster, the Sunday Comics section of my local newspaper used to carry something called FUN FACTS. These were useless bits of trivia specifically geared for kids. FUN FACT #487: “If all the baseballs ever produced in the United States were gathered together in one place they would fill Yankee Stadium twice!” Or FUN FACT #136 “If all of the wine bottles in France were arranged in a single pyramid it would dwarf of the Eiffel Tower!” Nobody ever seemed to wonder why anyone would want to fill Yankee Stadium with baseballs or stack all those wine bottles, but these strange “facts” were fun. Anyway, one of my favorites was FUN FACT # 861: “If all the chopsticks in China were placed end to end they would reach to the Moon and back three times!”

I don’t know if American designer Bryan Parks, the founder of Kwytza Krafts ever read that particular FUN FACT, but a chance remark at lunch one day while he was studying in China, did get him thinking about the billions of single-use chopsticks that were consumed in that country annually. He discovered that by some estimates, chopsticks alone accounted for the loss of more than 25 million trees and bamboo plants each year. Right then Bryan decided that there must be a use for all those wasted chopsticks. What if he could pair Eastern aesthetics with Western conservationism and recycle those ubiquitous bamboo rods into something both useful and decorative? Think of the forests that could be saved!

SHOP THE FOLDING BASKET!

That’s how the idea for Bryan’s company, Kwytza Kraft, was born. Kwytza is the Chinese word for chopstick and the simple chopstick is the basic building block for his company’s unique products. Used chopsticks are gathered from restaurants all across China. They are thoroughly cleaned in a special process using both extreme heat and high pressure, then some are dyed, using only organic compounds, while others are retained in their natural hue.

Having secured a constantly renewable source of recycled material to work with, the young designer/entrepreneur set out to create products both functional and appealing that people everywhere would want to use. His marvelous Folding Baskets are the result of that burst of inspiration. Bryan felt strongly that it was important for the health of our planet that people begin to conserve and recycle whenever possible. And offering products that were pleasing to the eye and practical as well would make it easy for people to do just that.

This is conservation and recycling at its best! You’ll love these simple but functional gifts and so will your friends. Large or small, these charming Folding Baskets can be used to hold bread, fruit, vegetables or household items. They can be used to wash fruits and vegetables or even used as colanders. And best of all for modern urbanites with limited counter space or picnic campers, when not in use, these handy bowls fold up into the size and shape of a fan, making them perfect for home, office or the occasional campsite.

Gene, Yuki and I fell in love with these delightful gifts at a trade fair earlier this year, where we had a chance to meet and talk with Bryan, an engaging young man with an inspired eye for clean, clever design and a deep concern for the planet on which we all live.

Bene Gifts is pleased to be able to offer a truly “green” product to our friends and customers. These beautiful baskets make a lovely housewarming gift and are the perfect gift for anyone concerned about our planet’s future. Use and give these wonderful Folding Baskets because FUN FACT #1 is: “If everyone recycled just a little, it would help the Earth a lot!”

SHOP THE FOLDING BASKET!