The one day event aims to save up to 500 tonnes of waste produced by when people break fast.
Launched by Projects Against Plastics, the Plastic Free Ramadan conference will take place at the House of Lords on Tuesday 11th February. Ramadan itself will be observed from Friday 28th February 2025 to Sunday 30th March 2025.
According to figures released by the organisers, Britain’s estimated 500 mosques can use up to 3,000 water bottles and 2,000 plastic plates during the month of Ramadan. The precursor the Islamic festival of Eid, the period sees followers fast from dawn until dusk.
Launched as a pilot scheme by Naseem Talukdar – with a water fountain and dishwasher installed at his local mosque in Fishponds, Bristol. These steps reduced overall waste by 70%, with more religious buildings signing up to participate in the South West, South East, North West and Midlands.
Campaigners are now inviting more mosques, communities and spaces to get involved, and aims to help support participants in bringing their waste down. It is hoped each site can cut 1tonne of waste, which would be the equivalent weight of 70 elephants
‘By joining once again with this charity partnership, we believe that, not only are we giving the mosques their natural leadership roles at a critical period of the year, but giving them the format, with which to inform their communities regarding the recent legislation updated in October 2024.
‘Ramadan is a time when Muslims are reconsidering their individual place in the world along with their responsibility to the planet, each other and our fellow global inhabitants,’ she continued. ‘No step is too small to seek to find ecological ways of making our living sustainable; no person is unimportant in this journey.’
You can register to participate in the Plastic Free Ramadan conference here.
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Image: Plastic Free Ramadan