Recycled Bomb Chopsticks

Turning war into peace, these recycled bombshell chopsticks carry a meaningful message and give back to a community once devastated by bombing. These truly unique chopsticks will be the conversation piece of any meal! HANDMADE in Laos by a company dedicated to bringing a curated collection of modern, one-of-a-kind pieces while preserving traditional techniques and supporting the Fair Trade movement. As with all handcrafted goods, slight variations are making each piece a work of art and truly one of a kind.

Laos is the most heavily bombed country per capita in the world. From 1963-1973, Laos became an unwitting pawn during the Second Indochinese War. During this time, the US Air Force dropped a planeload of cluster bombs every eight minutes for nine consecutive years. Right after the war, villagers began gathering aluminum from exploded bombs and made it into spoons. The villagers were taught this skill by a family that relocated to Ban Naphia from Houaphan Province, further north. In the early days, five families produced recycled bomb spoons. Today, approximately 13 families are producing more than 150,000 spoons per year from war and non-war scrap aluminum. Production has expanded to include bracelets, earrings, and pendants.

We work with artisans in Ban Naphia located in the Xieng Khuang Province who source aluminum from airplane parts and bombs dropped throughout Laos during the Secret War (Vietnam War) in the 1960s. The community which produces the recycled bomb products has all been trained by Helvetas, a Swiss NGO, on how to handle the metals safely, including smelting and cleaning the aluminum before use.

It is important to note that of all the bombs dropped in Laos, 30% did not explode. Unexploded ordnance (UXO) continues to pose a significant threat to the safety of villagers in rural Laos. In their search for scrap metal, many villagers encounter UXO and suffer catastrophic injuries. The generous spirit and ingenuity of Lao artisans are evident in this collection of recycled bomb products. War and persistent air raids in the 1960s left the countryside littered with bombs and metal shrapnel. The remnants of this legacy have been transformed into emblems of peace.

This product is sourced by a company dedicated to bringing a curated collection of modern, one-of-a-kind pieces while preserving traditional techniques and supporting the Fair Trade movement. They work closely with small social enterprises to facilitate dignified working opportunities in areas of extreme poverty giving a positive impact on rural artisans in underdeveloped nations to support their families and continue to live in their communities. Fairtrade restores dignity to the artisans and assists women to become role models to their communities. Economic empowerment gives them the opportunity to stay in their villages and they will be less likely to migrate to urban areas.

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