Former Everton man Tom Davies opens new chopstick business

Former Everton midfielder Tom Davies has launched a new business venture that aims to turn chopsticks into sustainable furniture.

Davies, 25, now at Sheffield United, has launched his new Liverpool-based venture, ChopValue UK, with the company having collected more than five million chopsticks from restaurants to turn into statement furniture and homeware pieces as part of what is called the ‘circular economy’.

Davies, who made 179 first-team appearances for Everton between 2015 and 2023, will hold the position of managing director and has entered into the venture with his agent Neil Sang, who will serve as a company director, as well as his brother Liam Davies, a former professional footballer with Tranmere Rovers, Chester FC and Southport.

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“We are paving the way for a greener future, where not only waste streams are transformed into valuable products made to last, but we can also source, produce, and distribute locally in our communities,” said Davies.

“I visit the Microfactory and experience the craft behind our products. I’ve enjoyed getting stuck into every aspect of the business, from literally sorting bags of used chopsticks after collection, to working the laser engraving machine.

“As a footballer, I am grateful for the platform my career has provided me and am committed to lead by example. Educating others on subjects like the importance of sustainability and responsible manufacturing is my priority, with the goal of ensuring upcoming generations have the same resources we have been fortunate to have.”

In the next year, ChopValue UK is projected to convert 25 million chopsticks into premium climate positive products, saving up to 1,200 tonnes of CO2 emissions from being released into the atmosphere.

The company’s vision is to redefine the term ‘waste’ to ‘resource’, inspiring other businesses to join the circular economy, which is estimated to yield as much as £3.5 trillion in economic benefits over the next decade.

ChopValue is the world’s first circular economy franchise for commercialized decentralized manufacturing, with operations in nine countries and over 80 Microfactories in development to create local impact on a global scale, with Davies acquiring the UK franchise.

Since its founding in 2016, ChopValue’s urban harvesting approach claims to have diverted over 150 million chopsticks from the landfill.

“It’s our mission to leave no chopstick behind and given the extraordinary amount that are sent to landfill every year, there’s a huge job to be done,” said Sang.

“ChopValue UK not only looks to turn waste into resource, but instil the importance of circularity and sustainability into the communities our Microfactory operates in. To launch in Liverpool has been a dream and we’ve relished training up our new employees, showing them a new set of green carpentry skills. The magic we are making in the Microfactory is special.

“We work with local and national businesses alike and are already completing orders for a whole host of products; from restaurant tables to signage and desks for offices.”