What do you think of the incident where a hotel in Nanjing was punished for pouring 43 bottles of mineral water?

On March 7, a hotel in Nanjing, Jiangsu Province, dumped 43 bottles of opened mineral water after a meeting of 48 people held by relevant units, and failed to post an anti-waste slogan in a conspicuous place and was ordered by the Nanjing Municipal Supervision Bureau The rectification sparked heated discussions among netizens. On the afternoon of the 7th, Red Star News learned from the Nanjing Jiangning District Market Supervision Bureau that the hotel involved had completed rectifications, and also paid attention to the relevant opinions of netizens on the matter. They believe, "We hope that this case will be used as a starting point to fully launch anti-waste work and increase publicity."

The hotel was banned for wasting 43 bottles of water and failing to post anti-waste signs. Is there any legal basis for issuing an administrative penalty decision and giving a warning? Is the main party responsible for holding wasteful behavior accountable, the hotel, or the enterprise or institution hosting the conference?

Many lawyers introduced that this administrative penalty complies with the "Anti-Food Waste Law of the People's Republic of China and the State". As a manager, the hotel has the behavioral obligation to provide reminders for wasteful behaviors. The Market Supervision Administration will The hotel's administrative penalty was based on the fact that the hotel, as a catering service operator, failed to post anti-food waste signs as required.

Causing heated discussion among netizens

43 bottles of opened mineral water were poured out after hosting a meeting

A hotel in Nanjing was ordered to make rectifications

3 On September 7, it was reported online that a hotel in Jiangning District, Nanjing City, dumped 43 bottles of opened mineral water after hosting a meeting for 48 people, and was warned by law enforcement officers from the Nanjing Municipal Market Supervision and Administration Bureau, triggering heated discussions among netizens.

The video shows that hotel staff are pouring unopened mineral water in the conference room into buckets, and beside them are staff from the Market Supervision Administration who came to make a surprise inspection. Law enforcement officers also found that the hotel lobby dining area did not post anti-food waste signs as required, and the hotel did not proactively remind consumers to prevent food waste, which violated the Anti-Food Waste Law of the People's Republic of China and the State. Therefore, an administrative penalty decision was issued to the company on the spot as a warning, and the company was ordered to make immediate rectifications.

Screenshots of the video

Some netizens questioned, "The law enforcement officers of the Municipal Supervision Bureau should not punish the hotel, but should warn the enterprises and institutions that hold the conference." Some netizens believe that the law enforcement officers The penalty decision was not wrong. It is recommended to use 330ml or smaller mineral water during meetings to reduce waste. Some local netizens in Jiangsu pointed out that hotels are the hardest hit areas for waste, and water and food waste in conferences or banquets and other occasions are very serious.

On the 7th, Red Star News reporters randomly consulted several hotels in Nanjing that provide conference services. According to hotel staff, the phenomenon of not posting or placing anti-food waste signs in conspicuous places in the store is actually It is relatively common, and most hotels will provide mineral water supply services during meetings. Some hotels also said that they have paid attention to the waste of bottled water. Currently, barreled mineral water is mostly used in conference rooms and disposable paper cups are provided for participants.

Nanjing Municipal Supervision Bureau:

Hope to use this case as a starting point

Comprehensive launch of anti-waste work

On the afternoon of the 7th, Red Star News We learned from the Nanjing Jiangning District Market Supervision and Administration Bureau that the administrative penalties imposed by the law enforcement agencies in the video were implemented by the Nanjing Municipal Market Supervision and Administration Bureau. "Currently, the hotel involved has made rectifications. Not only have anti-waste slogans been posted in conferences and lobbies, but hotel service staff have also been asked to strengthen communication with guests and remind guests to avoid waste."

Nanjing Municipal Supervision Bureau is in charge According to the staff working on this matter, they have paid attention to the opinions and confusions of netizens on this matter, and the national discussion triggered by this can also be helpful to the anti-waste propaganda work. "We hope to use this case as a starting point to fully launch the anti-waste work and increase publicity."

As for the issue of future anti-waste actions, the above-mentioned staff member said, (Nanjing) The city will make arrangements for relevant work, and administrative guidance measures will become more specific and clear during the implementation process.

Lawyer’s statement:

Although the hotel is not the subject of the wasteful behavior

But it did not proactively remind the person that the penalty was in compliance with the regulations

Henan Zejin Fu Jian, director of the law firm, told Red Star News that 48 bottles of mineral water were placed at the venue, and 43 opened bottles of mineral water were dumped after the meeting. There are many factors that contribute to this wasteful behavior. It may be that the participants were not conscious enough and wasted unfinished water at will. Secondly, the meeting organizer was not careful enough and did not remind the participants. As the host of this conference, the hotel is also to blame. The law enforcers' punishment of the hotel is in compliance with relevant regulations. Moreover, according to the principle of proportionality, it is reasonable for law enforcement officials to require the hotel to make corrections and issue warnings.

Fu Jian introduced that from the perspective of penalty information and legal regulations, law enforcement actions are based on the "Anti-Food Waste Law" officially implemented on April 29, 2021, which targets operators who fail to pay attention to consumption. If an operator provides reminders to prevent food waste, the operator will be held accountable. The use of hotel venues by conference organizers to hold activities is a consumer behavior. Although it is not the subject of wasteful behavior, the hotel, as a manager, has the obligation to urge the organizers to save resources and oppose extravagance and waste, "rather than laissez-faire and condone the wasteful behaviors of the organizers." ”

In Fu Jian’s view, the purpose of warnings issued by law enforcement officers to hotels is not to punish, but to remind catering service operators to establish environmental awareness of saving resources, avoid extravagance and waste, and advocate civility. , healthy and environmentally friendly consumption patterns.

Lawyer Zhao Liangshan, a partner of Shaanxi Hengda Law Firm, also told Red Star News that the administrative penalty imposed on the hotel by the Market Supervision Administration was based on the fact that the hotel, as a catering service operator, failed to post anti-food waste signs as required. , violating the relevant provisions of the "Anti-Food Waste Law of the People's Republic of China".

The regulations require that catering service operators should take the initiative to remind consumers to prevent food waste, post or place anti-food waste signs in prominent locations, or provide prompts and explanations by service personnel to guide consumers as needed. Order in moderation. If an operator fails to take the initiative to remind consumers to prevent food waste, the competent department will order it to make corrections and issue a warning. Therefore, the administrative penalty imposed on the hotel by the law enforcement officers of the Market Supervision Administration is in compliance with the law.

Zhao Liangshan pointed out that saving resources is everyone’s responsibility, and both Operation CD-ROM and Operation Light-Bottle are necessary to reduce waste. "From the perspective of reminding and preventing waste, it is understandable to punish the hotel."