Tag Archives: Food Waste

Attitudes towards Waste Management – The Case in Oman

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Responses to the Oman waste management questionnaire were interesting, enlightening, and often unexpected. The Omani interviewees gave thoughtful answers and additional insights and opinions that stemmed from their sociocultural backgrounds as well as from their individual experiences. Often, statements and assertions from these respondents were found to be corroborated by evidence from other types of research, such as the study on the composition of refuse found in dumpsites in Muscat, or the feeding habits of camels cited earlier. Food waste On the topic of food waste, respondents generally had a strong belief that such waste was immoral. When asked about … Continue reading →

Kia and The Waste Lab Partner to Raise Awareness on the Reality of Food Waste

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Kia Corporation partnered with Dubai-based start-up, The Waste Lab, and launched a three-stage GCC based campaign whilst transforming food waste into healthy compost. The partnership, commenced at the start of Ramadan, nudging consumers to rethink their practices and mindset around food wastage. The Waste Lab is a women-led, impact-driven startup based in the UAE, with a mission to reduce and repurpose food waste. Kia has always been an advocate of sustainable mobility solutions. In line with their vision of creating a positive impact on the environment, Kia is facilitating The Waste Lab as part of the collaboration with the Kia … Continue reading →

Food Waste Woes in Qatar

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Food waste is a huge issue in Qatar. In 2012, a massive 1.4 million metric tonnes of food was consumed and wasted in Qatar. This figure, divided by the then population of 2.05 million, equates to an average of 636 kilograms (kg) of food per person for the year, or 1.74 kg per day. Given the benchmark of two kg per person per day (preferably nutritious fare that does not contain too many kilojoules), that does not sound too excessive. But if you remove the young, elderly, short-term visitors/workers and people who consume less than two kg per day from the … Continue reading →

Tips for a Green Ramadan

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Ramadan is quite different from other months in terms of activities, praying and eating habits. During this month, Muslims should abstain from eating and drinking from sunrise to sunset to boost physical and mental endurance and to understand the hardships faced by the poor and needy who do not have enough resources to satisfy their basic necessities. The true meaning of Ramadan is purifying ourselves, taking care of our body, soul, people, surrounding and ecosystems which is supporting us. The month of Ramadan is a golden opportunity to consider making a shift towards a ‘green lifestyle’ that is environmental-friendly, non-polluting, … Continue reading →

How to Reduce Food Waste in Ramadan: An Infographic

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The debate surrounding increased food waste generation during Ramadan has become a part of public discourse in Muslim communities worldwide. Almost one-fourth of the food purchased or prepared during Ramadan finds its way to trash bins. The staggering amount of food waste in Ramadan urgently demands a strong public-focused strategy for its minimization, sustainable utilization and eco-friendly disposal.  This infographic will provide more insights into the magnitude of problem and plausible ways to tackle it. Keep reading to know how to make your Ramadan eco-friendly.

Food Waste, Ramadan and the Middle East

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With the holy month of Ramadan already underway, huge food wastage in the Middle East is again hogging limelight. It is a widely accepted fact that almost half of the municipal solid waste stream in the Middle East is comprised of food wastes and associated matter. The increasing amount of food wastage in Ramadan urgently demands a strong and holistic food management strategy to ensure its minimization, ethical utilization and eco-friendly disposal.   Food Waste in Ramadan Middle Eastern nations are acknowledged as being the world’s top food wasters, and during Ramadan the situation takes a turn for the worse. In the … Continue reading →

Food Waste and the Spirit of Ramadan

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In recent years, enormous generation of food waste during the holy month of Ramadan has been a matter of big debate in Muslim countries and elsewhere. As per conservative estimates, around one-fifth of the food purchased or prepared during Ramadan finds its way to garbage bins or landfills. This translates into thousands of tons of precious food which could have been used for feeding tens of millions of hungry people in impoverished countries of Asia, Africa and elsewhere. The staggering amount of food waste generation during Ramadan urgently demands a strong strategy for its minimization, sustainable utilization and eco-friendly disposal. Gravity of … Continue reading →

Ultimate Guide To An Eco-Friendly Home

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To be eco-friendly means to be respectful, or not harmful, to the environment. In today’s world being eco-friendly is a hot topic of conversation. Many people are curious about or interested in helping the environment, but they may not be sure where to start. Yes, trying to create a sustainable home and to make your home more eco-friendly can be a little overwhelming at first, but it can make for a fun and educational DIY project for the entire family. Lets go room-by-room: Kitchen An obvious place to start is in the kitchen, where there are a ton of opportunities … Continue reading →

Waste-to-Energy Potential in Saudi Arabia

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The Kingdom of Saudi Arabia has been grappling with the problem of solid waste in recent years. Around 15 million tons of municipal solid waste is generated in the country each year with per capita average of 1.4 kg per day. Depending on the population density and urban activities of that area, the major ingredients of Saudi Arabian MSW are food waste (40-51 %), paper (12-28 %), cardboard (7 %), plastics (5-17 %), glass (3-5 %), wood (2-8 %), textile (2-6 %), metals (2-8 %) etc. Due to high population growth rate, (3.4% per annum), rapid urbanization (1.5% per annum) … Continue reading →

An Urgent Call to Reduce Food Wastage in Ramadan

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The month of Ramadan witnesses a great rush of frantic buyers who are buying and storing food items and allied commodities. Unfortunately, Muslims countries, especially Gulf nations, generate huge quantities of food waste which increases manifolds during the month of Ramadan and festivals like Eid ul Fitr and Eid ul Adha whereby the consumption and wastage of food increase at an alarming level. Firstly, the food habits change in the month of Ramadan whereby Sahoor or breakfast/ meal is taken early in the morning. Later after sunset Iftar/ Fatoor (opening of the fast) is taken usually with specially cooked food, … Continue reading →

Food Waste in Ramadan: Trends and Counter-Measures

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Muslims countries, Arab nations in particular, generate huge quantities of food waste which increases substantially during the month of Ramadan. As per conservative estimates, around 15-25% of all food purchased or prepared during Ramadan find its way to the garbage bin before even being used or consumed. Food Waste Trends in Ramadan The trend shows that during Ramadan, the demand for beef, mutton, chicken and related meat products increases by almost 50% of the normal demand, which in itself is very high. Similar is the fate of other related food items like vegetables, fruits and dairy products etc. which are … Continue reading →

Waste Management Perspectives for Oman

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Globalization and modernization have led to increased consumption among the Omani population. Reportedly, the average Omani household throws away one-third of the food it purchases. Conspicuous consumption fuelled by peer pressure and effective advertising brings more goods and products into the home than the family members can actually make use of. And along with the increase in merchandise comes a lot of extra packaging. Product packaging now accounts for the bulk of what is thrown into household rubbish bins. The urge to keep pace with what one’s neighbours, relatives and peers acquire means higher rates of consumption: a new mobile … Continue reading →