QF’s zero-waste community Iftar returns

Doha, Qatar: As Ramadan begins, Islamic values are being blended with the value of sustainability at Qatar Foundation s Education City with the retu...

Doha, Qatar: 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 minimising 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.