Dubbed "eating up your dishes," the move not only echoes the central government's calls for putting an end to extravagant official banquets, but also reflects citizens' awareness of wasted food.

 

　　Many netizens have been outraged by a photo posted by Xinhua News Agency of extravagant banquets where untouched food was tossed into garbage cans in the south China metropolis of Guangzhou.

 

　　A report on CCTV showed a dish worth almost 700 yuan left untouched after a business dinner in a restaurant in central Beijing. A chef at the restaurant said on average, half of the food consumed was eaten and half ended up in the trash.

 

　　Recently, nearly 750 restaurants in Beijing have joined the campaign by offering smaller dishes.

 

　　The restaurants are also encouraging diners to take their leftovers home.

 

　　Now let's take a listen to what bloggers have to say about food waste.

 

　　"It will be a time for curbing banquet waste. Not letting food go to waste will be the most fashionable way to celebrate the festival this year."

 

　　"It seems that wasting food is not a big deal. But if everybody is indifferent to it, then it could be a disaster. At many parties and banquets, the food ordered is much more than the amount that can be eaten. It has something to do with Chinese people's eating tradition and culture. They think others will look down upon them if they don't order a lot of food or take home the leftovers."

 

　　"Well, I think most people won't waste food if they spend their own money. Food waste happens quite often during business banquets. Usually during these banquets, people are busy drinking wine and talking with their business counterparts or leaders. So they actually have no time to eat the dishes."