(ANSA) - BELGRADE, AUGUST 6 - A restaurant in the Czech Republic has introduced a 'fine' for customers that don't eat up the food that have ordered. In a restaurant in the town of Louny, 65 kilometers from Prague, customers can serve themselves from a buffet with vegetables and other side dishes as much as they want, but they have to eat up and leave no leftovers in their plate, otherwise they will pay an extra of 50 crowns in their bill, approximately two euros, Radio Praha reported. Also in the Czech Republic "restaurants throw out tons of food every day," Radio Praha recalled. "The idea is to make people stop and think about how much they are going to eat," said Jan Kristina Trojankova, the owner of the restaurant, adding that the message for customers is to assess better how much they want to eat and "don't leave your plate half-full" because of ordering too much food. According to Radio Praha, the restaurant customer have welcomed the measure and, since the introduction of the 'fine, the owners almost have no leftovers.

According to EU estimates, around 90 million tons of food waste are generated in Europe every year, with associated costs at 143 billion euros. (ANSA).