Food wastage in the Gulf increases during Ramadan

During the month of Ramadan, charities collect enough leftover food from homes and hotels to feed at least 1,000 people every day.

On some days, there is so much leftover food at some places that these organisations find it difficult to collect and distribute it, they say.

In 2013, Qatar Statistics Authority said that more than half the municipal waste generated in the country contained discarded food. It said that as per an estimate, one-third of the total waste generated consisted of discarded food.

Although there are no official statistics on food wastage during Ramadan, EcoMena, an advocacy platform stressing the need for a clean and green environment in the Middle East, said in a recent report that almost half the food prepared during Ramadan in Qatar was expected to find its way into garbage bins.

Qatar produces more than 2.5 million tonnes of municipal solid waste each year. According to the Qatar Green Building Council, more than half the municipal solid waste generated in Qatar is compostable, including leftover food.

Some hotels and restaurants told this newspaper that they were forced to throw away large amounts of leftovers from Iftar and Suhour buffets.  

They said that people tended to order more food than they could eat. 

“We open the restaurant at 6pm, and people rush in and fill their plates with food as much as they can. But they cannot eat everything. Some eat a bit of everything and leave the rest. We can’t even give such leftover food to anyone. It’s very sad to see that we throw away so much food every day,” said the manager at a restaurant popular for its daily buffets.   

This year, Sheikh Thani bin Abdullah for Humanitarian Services and Sheikh Eid Charity Association are involved in collecting leftovers from lavish buffets during Ramadan in an attempt to minimise food wastage and to benefit the needy.

“We receive many calls daily, and sometimes we find that it’s beyond our capacity to collect food,” said a senior official at Sheikh Eid Charity Association. 

While Ramadan is a time for giving and gratitude, it can also be a month of overindulgence and waste, with too much surplus food being dumped into garbage bins.

Food prepared for big banquets, where more than half of it is not consumed, is repacked and distributed to low-income workers and families for the early morning Suhour meal.

Charities urge families not to throw away food after Iftar and Suhour, and instead share it with the poor.

These organisations deploy teams of volunteers across the country during Ramadan to collect leftovers.

During the holy month, by 8 pm every day they start getting calls asking them to collect leftovers from Iftar. The calls continue until early morning the next day. 

As soon as they receive a call from a home, hotel or Ramadan tent asking them to collect leftovers, a team leaves in a specially designed vehicle. 

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