Beginning in December, diners in Hong Kong will receive a discount for asking for less rice than usual. Sure, it’ll only be one day a month, but it’s still a neat idea. As the South China Morning Post (log in required) reports:
From December, the first Wednesday of each month will be designated “Less Rice Save Money” day, with diners who say “less rice, thank you” when ordering at most restaurants receiving a discount.
Diners asking for less would get one third less rice after a survey conducted by the organizing group Greeners Action (formerly Green Student Council) found that diners usually leave that amount untouched. They’d save HK$1, or U.S. 13 cents.
This approach differs from an earlier proposal in Hong Kong that would fine customers HK$5 (U.S. 64 cents) per ounce for uneaten food at restaurants. Through both the carrot and the stick, Hong Kongers are trying to reduce how much food waste they produce.
I prefer the carrot/incentives method, but I have a suspicion the stick would be more effective in the U.S. Then again, fines for not finishing what you ordered would never fly here with our obesity crisis and huge portions. Bad idea.
OK, carrot it is then. I can’t wait for the first domestic Less Rice Save Money Day! Now it’s just a question of which restaurant will be the first to implement this idea. Anyone??
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