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Food wasters to pay price
By Zhang Zihan Source:Global Times Published: 2013-1-25 0:03:00
An employee collects the leftovers at a cafeteria in Shijingshan district Thursday. Photo: Li Hao/GT
The government plans to start charging restaurants and canteens for the amount of food waste they produce, in a bid to reduce Beijing's garbage mountain, 60 percent of which is currently food waste.
While conservationists welcomed this decision, consumers worried that it may result in a rise in prices.
Wang Weiping, deputy chief engineer of Beijing Municipal Commission of City Administration and Environment, revealed Wednesday that from this year, Beijing would start a pilot project to charge according to the amount of waste, the Beijing Morning Post reported.
"The rule is going to be the more you produce, the more you have to pay," said Wang.
"Beijing produces 3.6 million tons of kitchen waste every year and the municipal government spends around 720 million yuan ($115) every year on dealing with it," he said.
He Xiaoxia, head of Beijing-based environment NGO Green Beagle, said this should be an opportunity to reduce pollution and waste.
"Charging waste producers money by the quantity of kitchen leftovers would certainly make them be more careful in serving food, say, by suggesting people order only as much as they need," he said.
An employee from chain hot pot restaurant Xiabu Xiabu, surnamed Sun, said they throw out all leftovers.
"I know this is a waste but for security reasons we have to dump it. It's our policy. If we sell this food to other customers they will complain," he said, as he was throwing a dish of untouched noodles into the garbage.
Lin Danhua, a 26-year-old makeup retailer, said she is worried about an increase in menu prices.
"I don't think restaurants will pay for this waste willingly, and they probably will increase prices to cover the loss," she said, adding she is also afraid that some restaurants would sell the leftovers to other customers.
An anonymous employee from Golden Jaguar buffet restaurant, said all leftovers are dumped at day's end.
"Trucks from the environment bureau come and collect the waste. We never re-use leftover food," he said.
According to the commission's website, at present, as long as restaurants separate food waste into different containers, they do not need to pay for collection. The new rules mean restaurants will pay 50 yuan per ton in 2013, rising to 100 yuan per ton in 2014.
The government plans to start charging restaurants and canteens for the amount of food waste they produce, in a bid to reduce Beijing's garbage mountain, 60 percent of which is currently food waste.
While conservationists welcomed this decision, consumers worried that it may result in a rise in prices.
Wang Weiping, deputy chief engineer of Beijing Municipal Commission of City Administration and Environment, revealed Wednesday that from this year, Beijing would start a pilot project to charge according to the amount of waste, the Beijing Morning Post reported.
"The rule is going to be the more you produce, the more you have to pay," said Wang.
"Beijing produces 3.6 million tons of kitchen waste every year and the municipal government spends around 720 million yuan ($115) every year on dealing with it," he said.
He Xiaoxia, head of Beijing-based environment NGO Green Beagle, said this should be an opportunity to reduce pollution and waste.
"Charging waste producers money by the quantity of kitchen leftovers would certainly make them be more careful in serving food, say, by suggesting people order only as much as they need," he said.
An employee from chain hot pot restaurant Xiabu Xiabu, surnamed Sun, said they throw out all leftovers.
"I know this is a waste but for security reasons we have to dump it. It's our policy. If we sell this food to other customers they will complain," he said, as he was throwing a dish of untouched noodles into the garbage.
Lin Danhua, a 26-year-old makeup retailer, said she is worried about an increase in menu prices.
"I don't think restaurants will pay for this waste willingly, and they probably will increase prices to cover the loss," she said, adding she is also afraid that some restaurants would sell the leftovers to other customers.
An anonymous employee from Golden Jaguar buffet restaurant, said all leftovers are dumped at day's end.
"Trucks from the environment bureau come and collect the waste. We never re-use leftover food," he said.
According to the commission's website, at present, as long as restaurants separate food waste into different containers, they do not need to pay for collection. The new rules mean restaurants will pay 50 yuan per ton in 2013, rising to 100 yuan per ton in 2014.
Posted in: Society, Metro Beijing