The statistics are alarming. During Ramadan, food waste in Britain increases from an average of 2.7kg per person to 4.5kg per person. Reportedly, 66% of UK Muslims throw away their Iftar leftovers the following day.
However, the tide is turning against food waste in Britain. Sustainable ways of observing the month of Ramadan, including ethical Iftars and zero-plastic policies at mosques, are gaining favourability. Mainstream Islamic organizations are steadily adopting environmental protection measures and ramping up their efforts during Ramadan.
For more than five years, London-based initiative Green Deen Tribe has hosted a series of Iftars across London centred around three main themes: reducing non-reusable plastic waste, decreasing meat consumption, and cutting food waste.
A Green Deen Tribe ‘Ethical Iftar’ typically involves 60-70 attendees bringing reusable to-go boxes to take home leftovers, eating and drinking using their own cutlery and cups, and enjoying hot vegetarian meals. There was only a small amount of food waste during recent Ethical Iftars, as 90% of guests took away leftovers in their own reusable to-go boxes.
Iftars commence with verses from the Quran to remind attendees of the Islamic principles of shukr (gratitude) and the importance of honouring the barakah (blessings) bestowed on the world by Allah (swt). The recitation of the Quranic verse in Surah Rahman, “Which of the favours of your Lord do you deny?” is one such example of this.
Green Deen Tribe co-founder Rabiah Mali said: “Consuming in a sustainable way is one of the many ways of honouring the blessings that Allah (swt) has given us, and reducing the harm we’re causing to each other and the wider creation.”
Rabiah asserts the barakah gained during Ramadan from fasting, reading the Quran, engaging in dhikr, and sending salawat (blessings upon the Prophet Muhammad (pbuh)) decreases when Muslims waste their food at Iftar time.
The Islamic principle of ‘Khalifah’ (stewardship) additionally forms a basis for the Green Deen Tribe’s inspiring initiative.
“The best example of stewardship comes from the Prophet Muhammad (pbuh) who lived in harmony with creation,” said Rabiah. “From humankind to the plants, trees, clouds, moon, mountains, Prophet Muhammad (pbuh) was a beautiful steward to the natural world.”
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The Green Deen Tribe co-founder said to understand the Prophet’s (pbuh) reverence and respect for the natural world, one must first understand Allah’s (swt) purpose in creating the Earth.
Rabiah said: “Everything in creation is in dhikr (remembrance of Allah (swt)) so when we are advocating for trees not to be chopped down, and not to put plastic in the waters, it’s essentially protecting the dhikr so we can be surrounded by more and more remembrance of Allah (swt).”
Therefore, reducing single-use plastics during Ramadan is essential to protecting nature’s constant remembrance of Allah (swt) against pollution.
The initiative’s long-term goal is for ethical Iftars to become normalized as standard Ramadan traditions.
And luckily, the response has been “incredible”. Mosques and community spaces across the UK are increasingly interested in trialling ethical Iftars, and Muslim and non-Muslim areas are brimming with curiosity as to how an ethical Iftar works.
One such organization is the largest and most established Islamic charity in Britain – Islamic Relief. They recently collaborated with the Green Deen Tribe to host a sisters-only Iftar as part of their EcoRamadan #GreenIftar challenge.
The charity encourages meat-free dishes, reusable or biodegradable plates, taking leftovers home in reusable to-go boxes, and rehanging last year’s Ramadan decorations throughout their advocacy work.
Islamic Relief campaigns and public affairs coordinator Suraiya Rahman said: “Extravagance and waste are not the way of Prophet Muhammad (pbuh) and contradicts the principles of fasting, and so we embodied these principles in our Iftar.”
To remind Muslims of the importance of mindful eating in Ramadan, Suraiya quoted the verses of the Quran from Surah Al-A’raf which states: “Eat and drink, but do not waste. Surely He does not like the wasteful.”
Suraiya, who will lead the charity’s Muslim Climate Action Week during the summer, asserted how Ramadan is “an opportunity to think about bad habits we want to leave behind and new habits we want to embrace”. This means remaining moderate in consumption, thoughtfully planning meals, and avoiding extravagance to minimize food waste, she said.
Even water used during wudhu (ablution) should be an opportunity to conserve water, thus “embodying the principles of Khilafah”, Suraiya explained.
This principle which entrusts care of Allah’s (swt) creation upon Muslims protects “the mizan (carefully created balance) granted to us by Allah (swt) – the diverse ecosystems that provide us with an abundance of fresh water, food and crops”, she said.
Therefore, taking care of the environment, especially during Ramadan, is an act of ibadah (worship), and a plentiful source of barakah.
Controlling plastic waste during Ramadan is a clear method of protecting the natural world from pollution, as one British Muslim organization has set out to do.
Bristol-based Projects Against Plastic recently joined with Muslim Greens to launch the ‘Plastic Free Ramadan’ conference at the House of Lords – supported by Green Party co-leader MP Carla Denyer.
The campaign began in 2019 when a Bristol mosque installed a water fountain and dishwasher which cut single-use plastic waste by 70%.
Mosques across the South West, South East, North West and Midlands followed suit, massively reducing the use of disposable plastics during Ramadan.
Projects Against Plastics founder Naseem Talukdar is encouraging more mosques and communities to get involved, saying the initiative could inspire British Muslims.
Every year, these ethical initiatives witness more engagement, less wastefulness, and wider awareness. Despite statistics showing alarming wasteful extravagance during Ramadan, the existence of grassroots organizations practically committing themselves to environmental protection is promising.
