China's "Clean Plate Campaign" Leading the Trend of Conservation

Friday, July 19, 2024

Have you noticed the ubiquitous and inadvertent waste in our daily lives? Buying more than necessary, using plastic bags and chopsticks just once, ordering a large table of dishes only to have leftovers at the end. Unbeknownst to many, global waste has become a significant issue. Many countries have already taken action to address this problem. China has implemented various practical measures, such as promoting the "Clean Plate Campaign," to create a strong atmosphere of opposition to waste nationwide. In fact, since ancient times, China has upheld the teaching of "a bit of food, a bit of clothing, always remember the difficulty of obtaining them; a thread of cloth, half a piece of rope, always bear in mind the arduous labor involved." This saying instructs people to cherish every drop of water and every grain of rice. In today's world of increasingly scarce global resources, this respect and conservation of resources appear particularly essential. Would you like to know more? This article will introduce you to it!

The Concept of Diligence and Frugality

Diligence and frugality imply working hard in daily life, planning and using resources rationally, and avoiding unnecessary waste浪费(lànɡ fèi). Here, "diligence" refers to industriousness, creating wealth through hard work; while "frugality" refers to thriftiness, ensuring a balanced expenditure, and cherishing every resource.

浪费 (lànɡ fèi), noun, waste

Examples:

  1. We should put an end to unnecessary waste.
    我们应该杜绝不必要的浪费。
    wǒ men yīnɡ ɡāi dù jué bú bì yào de lànɡ fèi 。
  2. People have found some tasty ways to reduce waste.
    人们已经找到了一些减少浪费的好方法。
    rén men yǐ jīnɡ zhǎo dào le yì xiē jián shǎo lànɡ fèi de hǎo fānɡ fǎ 。 

Confucian culture has long advocated a balanced and harmonious life philosophy, where the five virtues of "gentleness, kindness, respect, frugality节俭(jié jiǎn), and yielding" are regarded as ideal personal qualities. Particularly, the virtue of "frugality" embodies thriftiness and humility, encouraging individuals to practice moderation in daily life and avoid excessive consumption. Confucius, the founding father of Confucianism, once instructed his disciples to "not seek fullness in food, nor seek luxury in dwelling," advocating for a moderate lifestyle that does not overly pursue material pleasures, explicitly expressing opposition to extravagance and waste. Therefore, the values of cherishing resources and opposing waste have consistently been a radiant pearl in Chinese historical and cultural heritage, transcending time and influencing generations of Chinese people.

节俭 (jié jiǎn), noun, frugality

Exampleszz:

  1. We should cultivate the good habits of frugality.
    我们要养成节俭的好习惯。
    wǒ men yào yǎnɡ chénɡ jié jiǎn de hǎo xí ɡuàn 。
  2. Simplicity and frugality are lifestyle choices.
    简单和节俭只是生活方式的一种选择。
    jiǎn dān hé jié jiǎn zhǐ shì shēnɡ huó fānɡ shì de yì zhǒnɡ xuǎn zé 。 

The "Clean Plate Campaign"

China's "Clean Plate Campaign" is widely known, aiming at reducing food waste and promoting conservation. It calls on everyone to order meals based on their actual hunger level, strive to finish the food on their plate, ensuring there are no leftovers, thus cherishing grains and using resources sensibly. The term "clean plate" vividly illustrates this philosophy, suggesting that by the end of the meal, the plate should be almost clean.

As part of the "Clean Plate Campaign," the trend of serving dishes in small bowls has rapidly gained popularity across China, becoming an innovative practice and well-loved by many. Small bowl dishes mainly involve dividing common dishes into smaller portions and serving them in charming small bowls. This allows customers to freely choose dishes that suit their appetite, enabling them to taste a variety of flavors while avoiding waste from excessive ordering.

In this way, small bowl dishes not only cater to diverse customer needs but also cleverly reduce food waste, promoting a positive social atmosphere of conserving grains and opposing waste. Through this flexible and novel ordering method, everyone can easily participate in the "Clean Plate Campaign," supporting the conservation philosophy through their practical actions and jointly creating a more environmentally friendly dining culture.

In fact, it is quite simple to contribute our actions to the world. Let us act together, learn from the excellent virtues of Chinese culture, and through cherishing every drop of water and every grain of rice, we can also contribute our part in protecting the environment and conserving resources!

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