04
Waste Management
The waste we generate is damaging to our environment. Humans are generating too much rubbish and we cannot process it in a sustainable way.
The month of Ramadan is a time of reflection, spiritual re-focus and self-improvement. An opportunity to re-evaluate the way we live our lives and to think about bad habits we want to leave behind and new habits we want to embrace. Unfortunately, the month of Ramadan for many of us has become a month of wastage. In our endeavours to perform iftar, recite Quran, take part in prayers, we unintentionally create excess waste in food, water, energy and even time.
Eat and drink, but do not waste.
Surely He does not like the wasteful
(Quran 7:31)
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The key principle to managing your waste is to not generate waste in the first place, or try to minimise it as much as possible. Let us look at the lifestyle of the Prophet Muhammad ï·º, his way of everyday life is described by his wife Aisha (may Allah be pleased with here):
​“He was the most generous of people, who never kept a dinar or a dirham with him overnight. If he had anything left over and he could not find someone to give it to before night came, he would not go home until he had donated it to someone who needed it. He did not take anything from that which Allah Almighty had bestowed upon him except one year’s supply of the simplest provisions, dates and barley, giving all of that for the sake of Allah Almighty. He was never asked for anything but he gave it, then he would go back to his annual supplies and donate from them to those who needed it more, then he might run out before the year ended. He used to repair his own sandals and mend his own clothes.”
(Sahih Muslim)
This hadith describes the 3Rs – Reduce, Reuse & Recycle. Our Prophet ï·º led a sustainable lifestyle and his example shows us how we can live by sharing, caring and reducing the demands on our natural resources and reducing the amount of waste we generate.
Reduce plastics in your iftar gatherings
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Make an assessment of the plastics that would be used when holding an iftar. At this early stage you might be really surprised just how much plastic is involved.
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Begin thinking of the most obvious uses, the plastics you might use for the meal itself e.g. plates, drinking vessels and cutlery. You could then think of plastics used in the less obvious aspects of the meal e.g. the packaging of the food and/or its ingredients.
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The primary sources of plastics are the most important to your message of reducing waste at and Iftaar, as these are the visible differences people can see. This is your way to demonstrate that a plastic free iftar is possible and that one can break one’s fast with others in a way that follows the example of the Prophet (PBUH).
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Think of alternatives to the plastics currently used. The idea is to try find alternatives that will eliminate the use of plastics all together. When attending an Iftar event or even attending the mosque, take your own water bottles so that plastic ones are not distributed.
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Reusable cutlery is a great way for everyone to get involved and help to clean up after. It gives an opportunity to create a community friendly environment.
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Keep a note of ways in which you have avoided plastic use in your iftar so that you can share good practice with others. Keep a record of the event so that you can share it and encourage others to do the same.
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Remember plastic is usually used for convenience. However, this convenience comes at a cost to the planet Allah created for us to take care of and live on. In Islam effort is rewarded and valued.
Keep a close eye on expiry dates to make sure you are using up food before the time has run out.
Find your nearest foodbank to donate any unwanted supplies you have left in the cupboard.
Use overripe fruit and veg to make low sugar desserts, smoothies and soups for Iftar/Suhoor, be mindful of how much water you are using too.
Over the fasting period, you can plan your meals and freeze them, so that you’re always using leftovers, rather than starting from scratch every evening.
Try to reduce the amount you discard in food preparation.
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Be sparing with water when washing vegetables etc. or washing down surfaces.
aBe sparing with water when washing vegetables etc. or washing down surfaces.
When visiting the shop, use reusable shopping bags.
Save electrical energy by avoiding digital devices. Spend more time reading a physical copy of the holy Quran and other books.