“And it is He (God) who has made you khalifa upon the earth.”
(6:165)
Plastic Free Ramadan Pledge
Every year, 400 million tonnes of plastic waste is generated globally. Only 9% of Canadian plastic are recycled, with the remainder ending up in landfills or our oceans. Durning Ramadan, plastic waste can peak as thousands of Canadian Muslims participate in iftaar gatherings, events and taraweeh prayers. Islam has clearly defined the harms of wastefulness, and we must preserve the environment.
What’s the problem?
When factoring in iftar and dinners in community spaces (including Masjids), and the distribution of single-use plastic water bottles during Taraweeh, it is evident that there is an increase in plastic consumption within the Muslim community during Ramadan. Most plastic materials are single use, not biodegradable and not actually recycled so they will rot in our environment and impact all living things on our planet for centuries to come. Therefore, we should be more cognizant of our plastic waste, especially in the context of our Islamic ethics and teachings about our role as stewards of the Earth.
What’s our goal?
We hope that the plastic-free Ramadan pledge will not only help stop the use of single-use plastic materials (e.g., plastic wrappers, plastic cutlery) during the month of Ramadan but also encourage Muslims to continue refraining from plastic use year-round and instead adopt more environmentally friendly alternatives!
How You can get involved?
We welcome you to partner with us to ensure that Ramadan remains a blessed time of year for all without compromising our roles as khalifas and further straining Earth’s systems. By signing the Green Ummah Plastic Free Ramadan Pledge, you will commit to eliminating the usage of plastic water bottles during all of your programming during the Holy month of Ramadan. You are equally welcome to challenge yourselves to further embrace your roles as a khalifa by participating in optional challenges like eliminating the usage of plastic cutlery during events.
To learn more, contact our team at islam@greenummah.org or info@greenummah.org.