News & Islam News Recycling Right This Ramadan: A Guide to Sustainability & Reducing Waste 1 March 2025 Prophet Muhammad ﷺ said: The earth is green and beautiful, and Allah has appointed you as stewards over it. [Sahih Muslim] This hadith emphasises our duty to protect and nurture the natural world. Islam strongly encourages us to take an active role in the protection of our planet and promotes a balanced, sustainable, and respectful relationship with nature. In this month of Ramadan, it’s a time for reflection, spiritual growth, and strengthening the bonds of community. As we strive to improve our habits, let’s also commit to protecting the environment by adopting sustainable practices in our daily lives. So, this Ramadan let’s focus on learning how to ‘recycle right’ in Tower Hamlets. The East London Mosque, in partnership with Tower Hamlets Council, is committed to improving the recycling rate in the borough. We have been joint working to educate people on reducing and recycling waste, as well about contamination and waste improvement. 7 top tips to recycle right in Tower Hamlets 1. Rinse Those Yoghurt Pots! Residents can recycle any type of plastic containers including yogurt pots, plastic drink bottles, cleaning product bottles (like kitchen and bathroom cleaning sprays), toiletry bottles, plastic pots, margarine containers, ice cream tubs and fruit punnets through the clear sacks and purple recycling bins. Empty and rinse items – left over foods or liquids can contaminate other recyclables. Left over washing up water can be used to rinse plastic pots and tubs before recycling. Plastic film and absorbent pads should be removed and added in the general waste bin, whilst labels and lids can remain on the items. Paper sleeves and cardboard on the item can be recycled Unfortunately, yoghurt pots are usually missed from recycling, just give them a quick rinse. 2. Say No to Black Bags Put your clean recycling loose in the bin or use clear, red striped sacks (for businesses to store recyclable materials).Never put recycling in black sacks! The waste collection staff can't see through these bags, so nothing inside gets recycled. Please use a clear bag – or put your clean recycling loose in the bin. 3. Flatten Your Cardboard Boxes Do you find your recycling bins getting full very quickly? We probably all have one person in our household who loves online shopping and with that comes the never-ending cardboard boxes or plastic packaging. This one small tip can greatly increase the amount of recycling a bin can hold! Break down your cardboard to save space for our neighbours’ recycling and stop rubbish from piling up. ♻️ Be a good neighbour – flatten your boxes. 4. Find Out What You Can and Cannot Recycle There are many things that you can recycle such as some types of plastic, paper, glass and cardboard. However, not all of these materials can be recycled. Did you know that you can’t recycle greasy pizza boxes, plastic bags and polystyrene? Check out the Tower Hamlets Recycling and Waste website for more information on what you can and cannot recycle. 5. Reduce Plastic Use Disposable plastic cutlery is regularly found scattered on beaches. Disposable plastic cutlery is one of eight priority items to eliminate according to The UK Plastics Pact, who work on reducing plastic waste in collaboration between businesses, governments, and NGOs. Plastic is usually used for convenience. However, this convenience has a consequence on the planet Allah created for us to take care of and live on. Our efforts are rewarded and valued. Top tips! Bring your own reusable water bottles in iftar gatherings in the mosque or outdoors. Choose foods that have minimal packaging to reduce plastic waste. Instead of using plastic cutlery, bring your own plates, and utensils for iftar gatherings - otherwise use wooden cutlery. 6. Be Creative With Leftovers In regards to leftovers, 58% of people surveyed say they often have leftovers during Ramadan and for those with leftovers, 96% say they often kept and ate them the next day. However, 66% also say they usually kept leftovers in order to use them up, but ended up throwing them away. Why not be creative? Use leftovers the following day by using it as an appetiser or a side dish. Prophet Muhammad ﷺ encouraged people to avoid leftovers on their plate, saying, You do not know in which portion the blessing lies >[Sahih Muslim] Top tips! Leftover meat and veg can be added to a biryani and fritters (pakoras) or, leftover veg and flatbread with eggs can be made into a scrumptious shakshuka. If you’ve made too much biriyani – that can be sorted – this can be frozen, but it can only be reheated once. Check guidelines for freezing rice. Prepared dishes such as curries can be frozen in portions (to find the portion for certain types of food, use the portion calculator). You can blend overripe fruits such as bananas with yoghurt or milk to make smoothies for suhur. In order to easily identify leftover food in your fridge, use clean and clear containers for easy visibility of contents, so there is a lower chance of food being forgotten. Share excess food as an act of generosity to neighbours, family or friends. Create a WhatsApp group for your street or estate to post your food to anyone who is interested in eating it for iftar or suhur. 7. Be Smart With Your Ramadan Shopping – Shop Smarter! Shopping smarter reduces the amount of waste produced and can reduce costs. Top Tips! Prepare your meals beforehand, so shop with a shopping list and check the use-by dates of fresh food. Purchasing things in bulk can reduce food waste in many ways. Promotes Planning: Buying in bulk can encourage more thoughtful purchasing and meal planning. When you're buying larger quantities, you're more likely to understand how much you can consume, reducing the likelihood of over-purchasing and producing waste. Less Packaging: When you buy in bulk, you're usually getting larger quantities of the product which contains less individual packaging. This not only reduces waste, but also cuts down on the environmental impact that comes with packaging. This Ramadan, let’s embrace sustainability and change our habits to become stewards of the earth, honouring our duty as caretakers for the environment and future generations. Make a pledge today—whether it’s rinsing yoghurt pots, reducing plastic waste, or sharing excess food with neighbours. Together, we can make a lasting impact beyond Ramadan! Make a pledge if you live or work in Tower Hamlets – www.towerhamlets.gov.uk/recyclinghero To find out more information about what you can and cannot recycle, please visit: www.towerhamlets.gov.uk/letsrethinkit Watch the videos about why recycling matters and what happens next in both English and Bengali. English: https://youtu.be/94spnCQDN9o?si=jK5JEjxX2E2APCwf Bengali: https://youtu.be/_qlrvwzZbjM?si=iVm0eL7KqB3kY5rw https://www.recyclenow.com/ https://www.greenpeace.org/static/planet4-ummah-stateless/2023/03/4945694a-eco-guide-english-final-version.pdf https://www.lovefoodhatewaste.com/blog/reducing-food-waste-during-ramadan-because-food-precious Manage Cookie Preferences