6 June 2022, VANCOUVER BC — MTY Food Group, the Canadian franchisor and operator of numerous restaurants, proudly announces that their brand, Thai Express, is committed to recycling 8 million chopsticks this year to celebrate World Environment Day in partnership with ChopValue, the circular economy brand transforming the neglected resource into beautiful homeware and decor.  

Thai Express touches the lives of millions of people each year, creating strong roots in the diverse communities it serves, and is proud to use its expansive network to support sustainable initiatives of fellow innovative Canadian businesses.  

“This partnership is providing us with the opportunity to reduce our carbon footprint through sustainable efforts, ultimately, allowing us to give back to the environment in more ways than one,” shares Dennis Ng, Sr. VP of Thai Express. “A special thanks to ChopValue for helping make the earth a better place.”  

With 170 Thai Express locations in Quebec participating in the recycling program, the ambitious goal of 8 million chopsticks would also capture over 12,000 kg of carbon that would have otherwise been released back into the atmosphere. The chopsticks collected will be brought to ChopValue’s local Microfactory in Montreal, where they will be engineered into durable yet eco-friendly products such as height-adjustable desks, wall decor, and serveware. 

“We admire Thai Express’ commitment to reducing waste from the landfill and lead the change together, starting with all Thai Express locations across Quebec,” said Felix Böck, Founder and CEO of ChopValue. “With this exciting partnership, we hope to inspire other businesses to be part of the movement and build a circular future.”  

To date, ChopValue has given a second life to over 60 million chopsticks into sustainable wooden solutions that are made to last. By creating a circular economy on an underutilized resource, this reduces the stress on the environment by saving virgin materials from being used while avoiding unnecessary carbon emissions. 

About MTY Food Group Inc. 

MTY Group franchises and operates quick-service, fast casual and casual dining restaurants under more than 80 different banners in Canada, the US and Internationally. Based in Montreal, MTY is a family whose heart beats to the rhythm of its brands, the very soul of its multi-branded strategy. For over 40 years, it has been increasing its presence by delivering new concepts of restaurants, making acquisitions, and forging strategic alliances, which have allowed it to reach new heights year after year. By combining new trends with operational know-how, the brands forming the MTY Group now touch the lives of millions of people every year. With 6,704 locations, the many flavours of the MTY Group hold the key to responding to the different tastes and needs of today’s consumers as well as those of tomorrow.  

About ChopValue 

The World Economic Forum forecasts the circular economy could yield $4.5 trillion in economic benefits 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 60 million chopsticks from the 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.