12 Steps to a More Sustainable Eid Al-Adha

Eid Al-Adha is almost upon us, alhamdulilah!

Eid Al-Adha is a commemoration of the sacrifice of Prophet Ibrahim and Ismail (as) when asked to submit to Allah (swt) fully. It also coincides with Hajj, a time where Muslims are together without any regard for race, ethnicity, or class. We ask Allah (swt) to invite us to His blessed house! Ameen.

As we indulge in this beautiful celebration that we’ve been blessed with, let us take a few steps to extend our gratitude beyond words and into actions. Try these 12 steps for a more sustainable Eid this year!

When it comes to being more sustainable – focus on what you personally can do and commit to that. If you’re up for a challenge, choose two or three ideas to try this Eid.

1. Be Creative with Décor – avoid buying new décor by reusing what you already have or turning household items into Eid décor.
2. Give Experiences as Gifts – we usually turn to material gifts on Eid but why not gift an experience like an escape room adventure or maybe a trip to a bowling alley instead.
3. Normalize Making Gifts – with things you already have or even thrifting gifts, you would be surprised at how many people are not opposed to it.
4. Wrap Your Gifts Sustainably – a lot of wrapping paper is not recyclable because it has glitter or is heavily printed. Opt for a recyclable wrapping paper or go old school and use magazine pages or newspaper to wrap your gift.
5. Try a PreLoved Outfit – consider asking your sister, friend, or shopping the ALMAZ Closet as an alternative to buying something new off the rack. The “new to you” feel is just as good!
6. Carpool to the Prayer – we know a lot of families split up after prayer and sometimes end up with 4+ cars at the venue for only 4 or 5 people. Consider carpooling with your family, friends, or neighbors to decrease your carbon footstep.
7. Take Your Own Bag – a lot of communities have their Eid prayers in shared or public spaces that don’t come with built in shoe racks. As a solution, they often give out plastic bags for you to put your shoes in. This Eid, bring your own bag so you can skip the plastic.
8. Set Up A Recycling Bin – ask whoever is planning the prayer to make sure there are recycling receptacles along with regular trash cans to try and eliminate recyclables from ending up in the trash.
9. Help Clean Up – if the Eid prayer is at an outside venue, there will be a lot of trash hanging around after everyone starts to leave. Take a few minutes to make sure none of the trash is left laying around.
10. Bring Your Own Mug – when grabbing your post salah coffee, look for a coffee shop that allows you to bring in your own cup/mug or one that uses real dishware instead of disposable cups.
11. Skip the Plasticware – a lot of restaurants automatically add plastic spoons/forks to your to-go orders, ask them not to and use your own reusable ones.
12. Limit Your Waste – on Eid day, it’s not uncommon to go all out with our food and purchase, be mindful of where you might be buying in excess or wasting and rethink your approach if needed.

Do you think you can take on one of these tips? If so, which one?