Friends' society appeals not to waste food

The Environment Friends' Society has appealed to those who will be fasting to be mindful of their consumption of food in the holy month of Ramadan and to avoid extravagance and waste in banquets during the occasion. The society urged people to think twice before getting rid of extra food. The message is to raise awareness on the environmental damages caused by wasting food. Dr Ebrahim Ali Mohammad, chairman of the society, said they were keen on involving everyone in the community in protecting the environment through individual and group initiatives and through the use of natural resources in a sustainable manner. He said there are simple ways to reduce the amount of waste food such as cooking small portions of food according to the needs of the family members. Article continues below He described wasted food as a climatic environmental problem. Food products are considered biodegradable, but wasting it means the loss of resources utilised in its production such as energy, water and materials used for packaging. Negative effects In addition to the damage caused by carbon emissions while transporting the food, burning waste at dumps has negative effects on the environment. Dr Mohammad stressed the need for more recycling plants and an increase in the use of environmental resources in the country. He said the vast quantities of waste produced by humans could become environmental resources if recycled and transformed into useful products. He said steps had been taken towards recycling, but there had to be a bigger sense of individual responsibility toward the environment.