HANGZHOU, Sept. 21 (Xinhua) -- In a restaurant in the eastern Chinese city of Shaoxing, a waiter gently reminds diners to order just enough, pointing to a small sign on the wall that reads, "Clean your plate."
This is no isolated gesture. In Shaoxing's Fushan subdistrict, similar scenes play out almost every day in more than 600 restaurants. Small-portion ordering and free takeout services are now standard at local eateries.
For residents of this historic water town in east China's Zhejiang Province, such small acts have long become part of daily life. The message is simple, but its impact reaches far beyond the dining table.
These grassroots efforts drew international attention to Shaoxing, which hosted the Global Observance of World Cleanup Day 2026 from Saturday to Monday. Themed "From Clean Plates to Clean Cities," it marked the first time China has been chosen to host the event.
The gathering brought together around 800 participants from UN agencies, international organizations, industries and businesses. They called for coordinated action across the entire chain, from reducing waste in homes to building circular, resource-efficient cities.
"From the moment I arrived, I was truly impressed by its water-town charm and clean, well-kept urban landscape -- a beautiful city that combines a rich historical heritage with vibrant modern governance," said Cecilia Andersson, Programme Management Officer and Waste Management Lead at UN-Habitat.
"Reducing food waste can conserve resources, strengthen food security and reduce pressure on waste collection and treatment systems," she added, noting that this year's theme highlights how preventing waste at source can contribute to cleaner, healthier and more resource-efficient cities.
In Shaoxing, such efforts are already yielding results. Some areas have introduced wedding banquet guidelines -- optimizing menus and cutting waste -- which have lowered food loss at rural banquets by an average of 25 percent.
These initiatives are part of a citywide campaign. Since 2023, Shaoxing has completed 514 clean city construction projects, raising public satisfaction from 91.08 percent to 95.02 percent.
Beyond the dining table, Shaoxing's green efforts extend to waste management and various industries.
The city has built nearly 4,500 waste sorting collection points and upgraded its waste management platform. By exploring new incineration technology, Shaoxing is turning household waste, once an "urban burden," into recyclable resources.
Its green efforts are also evident in its industrial sectors. Shaoxing's Keqiao, the world's largest textile distribution hub, has long been renowned for materials used in products ranging from curtains to apparel.
Inside a new materials company in Keqiao, discarded polyester textiles are depolymerized and respun into fabric that rivals virgin fiber. During the 2026 FIFA World Cup, jerseys for several national teams were made from these green fibers.
The green circular economy extends beyond cities and factories into the countryside. Shaoxing is developing green, circular modern agriculture, turning ecological advantages into industrial and income-generating benefits.
The Kuaijishan Ancient Chinese Torreya Community, one of the Globally Important Agricultural Heritage Systems, exemplifies this approach. Local authorities have integrated protection with circular utilization, promoting intercropping under torreya trees with plants such as winter melon and peony.
"This year's theme reminds us that the journey to sustainable cities starts at home," said Anacláudia Rossbach, Under-Secretary-General and Executive Director of UN-Habitat. "The choices we make in our kitchens and communities shape the way our cities function."
Experts noted that the event's debut in China reflects international recognition of the country's green urban-rural development, while also promoting global cooperation in human settlements.
"We will work with all countries to stay true to the original aspiration of thrift, promote sound practices, and build clean homes," said Ni Hong, minister of housing and urban-rural development, calling for systematic policies and collaborative exploration of new urban governance models to keep cities vibrant and sustainable.
Liu Jie, governor of Zhejiang, said the province will continuously improve living standards and contribute more to building a Beautiful China and promoting global sustainable development.
The global event comes as China works to improve nationwide efforts in waste management and environmental cleanup. In January, China released an action plan to significantly expand its solid waste treatment capacity over the next five years, as part of broader efforts to advance a comprehensive green transition across the economy and society.
Meanwhile, China's 15th Five-Year Plan (2026-2030) outlines initiatives for comprehensive solid waste treatment, stronger environmental risk controls, and significant progress in addressing emerging pollutants.
Established by the United Nations General Assembly in 2023, World Cleanup Day is observed annually on Sept. 20 to raise public awareness of the role cleanup efforts play in sustainable development.
Previous editions have addressed a wide range of global environmental issues, from the challenges of waste pollution in polar regions to efforts targeting textile and fashion waste.
"Every clean place leads to a cleaner neighbourhood. Every cleaner neighbourhood builds a resilient city," said Nga Kor Ming, President of the UN-Habitat Assembly and Minister of Housing and Local Government of Malaysia, in a video address.
"Let the flowing waters of Shaoxing remind us that when resources flow circularly, communities thrive," he added. "Let's turn today's awareness into tomorrow's lasting policy." ■
