Waste management is the science that deals with waste prevention and management. We are all extremely committed to environmental preservation. A clean and attractive atmosphere will cause healthy individuals to exit that environment. This is because most of us will not be afflicted by any severe diseases caused by trash. Muslims have had lessons on avoiding and reducing waste for over 1,400 years and we can all benefit from the guidance offered in Islam through Quranic injunctions and Prophet’s Sunnah. The idea of waste (Israaf) appears frequently throughout the Quran, and there are no grey areas. It is clear: it is never justified. On a religious and spiritual level, we are taught to utilize only what we need, to refrain from excess, and to care for our house. According to Islamic Law, the basic elements of nature – land, water, fire, forest, and light – belong to all living things, not just human beings.”
The Holy Qur’an and Sunnah are a guiding light to promote sustainable development in Islamic countries as well as around the world. Allah (Subhanahu Wa Ta’ala) commands human beings to avoid doing mischief and wasting resources as these acts cause degradation of the environment. The privilege to exploit natural resources was given to mankind on a guardianship basis, which implies the right to use another person’s property on the promise that it will not be damaged or destroyed.”
The Holy Quran says: It is He Who has brought into being gardens, the cultivated and the wild, and date palms, and fields with the produce of all kinds, and olives and pomegranates, similar (in kind) and variegated. Eat their fruit in the season but give (the poor) their due on harvest day. And do not waste, for God does not love the wasteful. [Quran 6:141]
The major purpose of the zero-waste approach is the arrangement of a circular flow of materials, thereby reducing waste to the minimum. Waste is also a problem resulting from having too much. Allah addresses this problem of excess in the Quran: O you who believe! Do not make unlawful the wholesome things that God has made lawful for you but commit no excess for God does not love those given to excess. [Quran 5:87]
“O Children of Adam, take your adornment at every place of prayer, eat and drink, but be not excessive – Indeed Allah likes not those who commit excess” [Surah Al-A`raf – 7;31]
Regarding food consumption “The first calamity for this nation after the Prophet’s ṣallallāhu ‘alayhi wa sallam (peace and blessings of Allāh be upon him) death is fullness of their stomachs; when their stomachs became full, they became obese, and their hearts weakened, and their desires became wild” [Bukhari]
A zero-waste lifestyle aims to limit garbage transported to landfills, which contributes to climate change and global warming. This way of life lowers our negative influence on the environment by promoting sustainable living, biodiversity, and a healthy, productive balance of creatures.
Both governmental and non-governmental organizations have devised several mechanisms. Recycling solids is one example of such a process. As a result, we are all recommended to dispose of solid trash at a specified location. The government or any company that deals with garbage recycling takes them up from there. Second, by decreasing and reusing solid waste, we can control it. These are also the most recommended waste management methods. We reap several environmental benefits by employing these strategies.
Pakistan lacks waste management infrastructure, which contributes to major environmental issues. Most of the municipal garbage is either burned, discarded, or buried on unoccupied plots, posing a hazard to the general population’s health and cleanliness. Karachi, Pakistan’s largest city, generates more than 16,500 tons of municipal waste daily, whereas Lahore generates 7,690 tons, Faisalabad 5,017 tons, Rawalpindi 4,500 tons, Peshawar 2,048 tons, and Quetta 716 tons. Therefore, all major cities face enormous challenges in how managing urban solid and sewage waste.
The government might also take initiatives to encourage people to separate their trash, such as giving incentives like reduced service costs for properly separated waste. This will reduce waste management companies’ expenditures for garbage segregation while simultaneously boosting the number of people who recycle garbage. Garbage reuse and recycling are the most common waste management methods. This technique creates value by preserving natural resources and encouraging environmental cleanliness. Manufacturers should promote reusable packaging, such as reusable bottles in the beverage industry.
We must remember that garbage does not always end up in the stinking garbage bin. Living, eating, dressing, and traveling are all facets of our lifestyle that can lead to a wasteful lifestyle. If we are aware of our responsibilities as Muslims then we must start the idea of zero waste management. We must consider our lifestyle choices and how they affect the environment.
