Mottainai

Do you know the word “Mottainai”?

This is the word which shows the concept of recycle and reuse in Japanese.
For example, when I was eating if I left food which we couldn't eat, my parents would say “Mottainai! Farmers are growing rice with great effort. Or when I was talking with my friends if we wasted something which we could still use ,we would say” Ghost of mottainai is coming.”

There is no exactly same word in English. (Maybe like "What's waste!!") But nowadays the word”Mottainai” is getting used international. Because Nobel Prize-winning Wangari Maathai who is the environmentalist from Kenya has introduced the word to the U.N.

It might be difficult ,if you can, remember the word "Mottainai". It is very useful word!

http://www.commondreams.org/views05/0422-30.htm