Pune Restaurant Fines Customers for Wasting Food and the Internet Can’t Stop Talking About It
Pune Restaurant Fines Customers for Wasting Food and the Internet Can’t Stop Talking About It
A restaurant in Pune has introduced a new rule to curb food wastage. Customers who leave food on their plates are now being charged an extra ₹20. The move was shared on X (formerly Twitter) by a user, who wrote, “A hotel in Pune is charging ₹20 extra if you waste food. Every restaurant should do the same; weddings and functions should start charging fines too!”
A hotel in Pune is charging ₹20 extra if you waste food.
— Ronita (@rons1212) August 13, 2025
Every restaurant should do the same, weddings and functions should start charging fines too! pic.twitter.com/Bw3eU7b58L
The post quickly went viral, drawing mixed reactions. Many welcomed the step as a way to prevent food waste, while some argued that it could be unfair to force customers to finish meals they do not like. One user wrote, “Good step. There should be a penalty on food wastage.” While another wrote, “What if the food is not edible or does not suit my taste? I would not know beforehand. Can I charge them twenty rupees for failing to satisfy my requirement? Not supporting food wastage but opposed to nonsensical policies.”
Good step. There should be penalty on food wastage.
— aditi#chsdqfwj (@aditidasnigam) August 13, 2025
What if the food is not edible or doesn't suit my taste? I wouldn't know it beforehand for sure. Can I charge them twenty rupees for failing to satisfy my requirement? Not supporting food wastage but opposed to nonsensical policies.
— Prasenjit | ಪ್ರಸೆಂಜಿತ್ | প্রসেনজিৎ (@jerremee) August 13, 2025
A Similar Incident
This is not the first time a restaurant in India has introduced such measures. In 2020, Ibnii Spa and Resort in Coorg launched an initiative called ‘Weigh the Waste,’ where guests are charged for leftover food. At the end of each meal, any food left on plates is weighed in front of the guests. Leftovers are then charged at Rs 100 per 10 grams.
All money collected from the guests goes to a not-for-profit organization that feeds children at an orphanage in Madikere. The program has reportedly been successful, with a significant drop in food waste. Ibnii’s CSR Advisor, Shereya Krishnan revealed that the resort’s daily food waste had drastically reduced, going from fourteen bins a day to just one.
At Ibnii Resort in Coorg, food wasted by guests is weighed and billed to the guests at Rs 100 per 10 gm. The proceeds go to an NGO that feeds children at an orphanage.
— Harsh Goenka (@hvgoenka) February 17, 2020
Good news is that none of the guests are unhappy about this rule and waste bins have come down from 14 to 1. pic.twitter.com/9DC3ZbQiN2
The initiative has highlighted how simple measures in restaurants and resorts can reduce food waste while supporting charitable causes. While the Pune restaurant’s ₹20 charge is small compared to the Coorg program, both steps aim to make people more aware of the food they order and consume.
Food wastage continues to be a major problem. According to the United Nations Development Programme, up to 40 percent of the food produced in India is wasted, and most people do not realize how much food is thrown away every day. However, measures like these are gaining attention across India and the debate continues over whether charging customers for leftovers is fair, but the underlying message is clear: reducing waste benefits both society and the environment.
