As Ramadan begins, Islamic values are being blended with the value of sustainability at Qatar Foundation’s Education City – with the return of its zero-waste community iftar.
The daily meal at Minaretein (Education City Mosque) – powered by a team of volunteers – is once again seeing people from across Qatar gather to break their fast and share in the spirit of the Holy Month while learning about and contributing to the principles of moderation and ecological stewardship.
Reflecting the zero-waste goals of minimizing waste production, the Education City iftar’s portion sizes reduce leftover food, while each person receives one multi-compartment box made of eco-friendly material, rather than several containers, to cut plastic waste. Whole fruit rather than packaged fruit, reusable table covers, and water dispensers instead of plastic bottles also contribute to the sustainability of this community event, with any food waste being turned into compost to be used at Education City.
The zero-waste iftar at Minaretein was introduced for Ramadan in 2023, when 45,100 meals – an average of 1,500 a day, with as many as 2,000 people attending in the last days of the Holy Month – were served, and is already proving a popular community gathering point again this year.
“The purpose of the zero-waste green iftar is to continue our commitment to sustainability and community engagement."
Said Wasif Ali Khan, Business Transformation Project Manager at QF’s Minaretein Center.
“By bringing it back this year, we are reaffirming our dedication to reducing waste, nurturing communal bonds, and caring for the environment, which are principles that align with our organizational ethos and the broader goals of promoting eco-friendly practices.
“Our zero-waste green iftar reflects the Islamic values of moderation, conservation, and responsibility for the community and the planet. Islam encourages the sustainable use of resources, sharing with others, and minimizing waste, all of which are central to our iftar program.”
This year, the community iftar at Minaretein is incorporating more educational initiatives alongside the traditional fast-break meal, designed to increase people’s understanding of the importance of reducing the waste they produce and encourage them to adopt zero-waste habits.
When they arrive for the iftar, guests are given a briefing – in Arabic, English, Hindi/Urdu, Malayalam, and Swahili – about how to segregate food and packaging waste, practices they can then use in their daily lives, and how any packaging waste produced is recycled by its supplier.
And, as Khan explains,
“We are also expanding our collaboration to transform food waste into compost, further contributing to a circular economy and nurturing the land that sustains us.”
Among the volunteers who are crucial to the success of the community iftar, and its zero-waste operation, is Abdulrahman Al-Jumaily, Financial and Accounting Services Director at Qatar Foundation, who said:
“Myself and my team participate in this initiative as a volunteer unit, as it contributes to fostering a spirit of teamwork within and beyond the workplace environment.
“We commend the Education City Mosque's Iftar initiative, which encourages volunteering by making it easily accessible without the need for volunteer organizations. It also has a key role in raising awareness and shedding light on the impact of small actions that individual people can make to help preserve the environment and achieve sustainability.”