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!"[1][2] or the old saying, "Waste not, want not."[3] 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.[2]