I admit it: a big part of Ramadan is eating. Even more than eating, Ramadan is about eating in community. We fill up a plate, then grab a drink and a few utensils. Sometimes we remember a napkin. We sit down next to someone we may see every jummah prayer, but haven’t gotten to know yet. We build personal bridges over many shared meals. After 30 or so days of bumping elbows at iftar tables all over the world, we say goodbye to Ramadan, ending it as a more connected community of believers.
We also leave behind TONS of styrofoam, paper and plastic plates, forks, spoons, knives, cups, napkins & paper towels to pile up in our local trash dumps. I can’t ignore the bags of trash that collect after every beautiful iftar. This has to change. And I know I’m not the only one who believes we Muslims can do better.
After researching reusable dinnerware that would add to the festivity of the occasion while being sustainable, stylish and affordable, I curbed my own family’s impact during Ramadan with what I like to call a Zero-Trash Iftar Kit. And now after testing it out myself, I’d like to share it with my sisters and brothers searching for a way to green their own Ramadans.
Here’s what I came up with:
Every item in your Zero-Trash Iftar Kit will be either a) reusable, b) responsibly-made, c) sustainable or d) all of the above, and will include:
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- a stainless steel divided food tray
- a bamboo fork, knife and spoon
- a BPA-free tumbler with straw
- a cloth napkin
- a reusable bag to carry it all (not shown)
It is my goal to help 1000 Muslims green their Ramadan this year, inshaAllah. God Willing, these Zero-Trash Iftar Kits will make a positive impact on your Ramadan iftars and help continue the community conversations on realigning our faith — Islam — with its sustainable roots.
Buy a Zero-Trash Iftar Kit before Ramadan begins in early July.
This is a wonderful idea. Thanks for sharing!
Thanks for your encouragement, Miriam!
ASA! first, I commend you! wow. great idea. For clarity, is the idea to provide this when hosting an iftar, or bring it with you when you are a guest? Seems like the later (which really helps take the burden off the host, especially if its a masjid or other org). Lastly, I’m worried about clean up. What do u recommend as far as not ending up with a bag of sticky smelly dishes to carry around the rest of the night? What did u do?
Great job coming up with this. Well done.
wa alaikum as salaaam Candid Candis! Those are some great questions. Here’s how my family used it: We took our iftar kits to community iftars at the masjid or someone’s home. It’s a good idea to give the hosts or food servers a heads-up on your intentions so there will be no hard feelings or drama. Part of having a Green Ramadan is to eat responsibly, so portion-control is a must. When we shop on an empty stomach we tend to get more that we need. Same goes for iftar. We had to be hyper-conscious of that when self-serving. So after eating our food, we’d usually scrape off what cannot go down the drain into a trash or compost bin, then give everything a quick rinse in the sink. The quick-rinsed dinnerware stays in the bag until we go home. At home, we put everything in the dishwasher. Usually at the end of the week we throw the napkins in the laundry and and wipe the non-porous bag out with a sponge. Thanks for your questions and encouragement.
ASA. I have been encouraging our community to go green during Ramadan for years! I created kits with plate, cup, fork, knife and spoon. You can wash at the masjid or at home. I did use paper napkins though. Now I will add a cloth napkin. I printed flyer about Styrofoam. Some folks just will not try to do better. I LOVE this campaign!
wa alaikum as salaam Teresa. Great minds think alike, right? I’ve gotten a lot of great responses to Green Ramadan’s Zero-Trash Iftar Kits, so I know we are not alone in our desire for a greener iftar at the masjid. I applaud your efforts to boost awareness and I LOVE your enthusiasm, mashaAllah.