Waste Not.

Ever wanted to punish people who don't follow your views?

An article in The Sydney Morning Herald on Sunday titled "Clear your plate or clear off: this iron chef will make you pay" has given restaurant owners the opportunity to achieve this.

Chef and Owner of 'Wafu', a Japanese restaurant, Yukako Ichikawa has solved the problem of waste on an individual level -

• Haven't finished what's on your plate? You are charged 30% more than guests who lick the plate clean
• Ordered take-away? Bring your own containers or you will not be served
• Don't believe in either of the above 'Restaurant Rules'? You will not be welcome back

Whilst her firm and vigorously executed policy has earned her some pretty bad reviews, I whole-heartedly support her cause.

A visit to the ABS website gave me a five-fingered-plus-palm slap in the face when I read how much waste Australians dump each year.

"Australians generated approximately 43.8 million tonnes of waste (approximately 2,080 kilograms of waste per person) in 2006–07" (Article 4613.0 - Australia's Environment: Issues and Trends, Jan 2010)

Two thousand kilograms per person!

And the worst state is New South Wales. Shame on us.

Yukako is a brave woman in my opinion, risking sales and positive word-of-mouth for a better environment. Less waste means less pollution to our lands and less guilt about the fact that we ordered a 400g Rib Eye and only ate half, while there are millions of starving people all around the world.

'OzHarvest' is an organisation whose actions will no doubt award them good karma for the rest of their lives.

Taking lead from 'AmericaHarvest' which has been in operation for over 20 years in the US, Founder Ronni Kahn started with a small team and one van in late 2004, and begun collecting kilos of unused waste from local businesses in the Hospitality industry and delivering them to charities where they could be put to better use.

Today, OzHarvest deliver 100,000 meals each month.

So please, next time you order out from a restaurant or go shopping for tonight's dinner, have a think about how much food you will actually eat. Less is more.

It's been a pleasure - and for me too ;)