About 40% of Italians would be
embarrassed to ask a restaurant if they could take home the
leftovers of a meal, a survey showed on Thursday, prompting a
new designer 'doggy bag' project to encourage the trend.
Three out of four Italians realise that leftover food in a
restaurant is a waste, but only 9 percent would dare ask if they
could take it with them when they leave, according to the survey
by Waste Watcher, an organisation monitoring waste by Italian
families.
Some of the reasons given for avoiding the habit, common
among British and American diners, include the fact that eating
out in Italy is viewed as a celebration, and so people do not
want to evoke memories of the hunger suffered in the post-war
period.
It is also considered good manners to finish a dish
completely so people do not want to draw attention to themselves
if they do not manage to.
Environment Minister Gian Luca Galletti said on Thursday
that Italians throw away 5.1 million tonnes of food every year,
wasting 12.6 billion euros annually.
Fabio Spada from restaurant association Fipe Confcommercio
said on average Italians waste only 4% of what they eat at home,
but much more of what they eat out.
Recycling association Comieco and Slow Food Italia have
launched the "If I'm left over, eat me" project, which will
distribute 40,000 designer doggy bags in selected restaurants in
cities including Milan, Bergamo and Rome, hoping to develop the
trend in Italy.
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