Mottainai

Mottainai (Japanese: もったいない or 勿体無い) is a Japanese phrase conveying a sense of regret over waste, or to state that one does not deserve something because it is too good. The term can be translated to English as "What a waste!" or the old saying, "Waste not, want not." Japanese environmentalists have used the term to encourage people to "reduce, reuse and recycle". Kenyan environmentalist Wangari Maathai has used the term at the United Nations as a slogan to promote environmental protection.