Several government departments in Zhangjiagang, Jiangsu province, have initiated an action called “civilized dining” that started in June last year. The action calls on people to order appropriate portions, takeaway leftovers, use serving spoons and chopsticks, eat safe food, avoid drunk driving and refrain from smoking in public areas.

Officials emphasized the action recently by checking tips in restaurants and signing commitments with restaurant owners responsible for bad behavior. More than 20,000 tip boards have been placed on every dining table in more than 1,000 restaurants in the city.

A waiter in a hotpot restaurant said people seldom took leftovers home in the past. Now most people will order appropriate portions and doggie bag the rest. All waiters and waitresses will encourage thrifty ordering and takeout, according to the waiter.

Buffet restaurants have been a big problem for food waste. People tend to fetch as many dishes as possible as they pay a fixed price and are allowed to eat whatever they like in the restaurants. After the policy was initiated, behavior has significantly improved. Most customers will take the proper amount of food. They prefer to fetch food several times now instead of fetching a lot of food and leaving it on the plate, said an owner of a buffet restaurant.