JAWA BARAT — Disaster Management Center (DMC) Dompet Dhuafa held an event entitled “Thirty Days Off Wasted” at Setu Tujuh Muara, Bojongsari Lama, Bojongsari District, Depok City, on Sunday (23/02/2025). This activity aims to raise public awareness in protecting the environment, especially in managing waste during the holy month of Ramadan. The event was attended by various elements of society, including environmental volunteers, academics, students, and local residents who care about the issue of waste.
This action, which involved many parties, started from the problem of human consumption, which always leaves a trace in the form of waste. The increase in food consumption during Ramadan, which is often greater than on ordinary days, also contributes to the increase in the amount of waste. The habit of breaking the fast with abundant food and the use of disposable packaging are environmental challenges that must be addressed wisely. If not managed properly, the increase in waste can have a negative impact on the environment, including water and soil pollution, as well as an increase in greenhouse gas emissions due to poorly decomposed waste.
Awareness of the impact of waste on the environment is very important so that this problem can be minimized. As a form of campaign, this event held a long march around Setu Tujuh Muara, which was attended by the Ranita UIN Syarif Hidayatullah Jakarta Student Group for Lovers of the Environment and Humanity.
Participants brought posters and wore unique costumes as a way of inviting people to reduce food and packaging waste during Ramadan. The campaign was also carried out through social media by uploading educational photos and videos about the importance of reducing waste during the month of Ramadan.
“We chose ‘Thirty Days Off Wasted’ as the theme of the event, because thirty itself is synonymous with the number of days in the month of Ramadan and these thirty days will be wasted if not utilized properly and wisely in managing waste,” said Putri Alya Firdaus, Environmental Project Staff DMC Dompet Dhuafa.
She also added that through this activity, the community is expected to reduce consumptive habits and exercise more restraint in buying food that has the potential to increase the amount of waste. According to her, the month of Ramadan should be a moment of reflection and self-control, including in the aspect of consumption. If people can reduce the habit of buying food excessively, they can also help protect the environment.
In addition to the long march, the event also featured an Environmental Oration by Panca Yudha Dirgantara, who reminded the importance of maintaining the balance of the Earth’s ecosystem. In his oration, he emphasized that each individual has a responsibility to maintain a clean environment. He also highlighted the long-term impact of people’s consumptive habits that contribute to global problems, such as climate change and environmental pollution.
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An interactive discussion in the Climate Talk session was also held, featuring Ika Saragih and Kori Shifatun from Ranita UIN Syarif Hidayatullah Jakarta as speakers. In the discussion session, the speakers discussed various practical ways to reduce waste, from bringing their own containers when buying food, choosing products with environmentally friendly packaging, to recycling organic and inorganic waste.
In the discussion session, Kori Shifatun linked waste management to a wiser consumption pattern. She explained that ducks can be an example of managing organic waste in an environmentally friendly way. Ducks only eat according to their needs, which reflects the importance of consuming in moderation so as not to produce excessive waste. This principle is in line with the purpose of the event to reduce consumptive behavior during Ramadan.
“We can learn from ducks in managing consumption patterns. They only eat enough and do not leave food scraps. We can apply this in our daily lives to reduce food waste,” he said.
The event also involved the Dompet Dhuafa Community Service Organization (LPM) and Free Health Service (LKC) programs. There was a Mobile Kitchen (Darling) booth that provided healthy foods such as fruit and fresh juices for residents exercising around the lake. The booth not only offered healthy food, but also provided education on the importance of choosing nutritious foods that do not produce a lot of waste.
In addition, LKC offers health check-ups and mental health consultations for visitors. Many people take advantage of these facilities to check their health, especially in the run-up to the month of Ramadan. The health check-ups include checking blood pressure and blood sugar levels, as well as advice on a healthy diet during fasting.
As a form of concern for the environment, the DMC team Dompet Dhuafa, volunteers, and Karang Taruna Bojongsari participated in a clean-up action at Setu Tujuh Muara. This activity received appreciation from Yaya Sudira, Head of Bojongsari Village, who expressed his gratitude to Dompet Dhuafa for this initiative.
“Thank you to Dompet Dhuafa for making us more aware of the problem of waste and for supporting the Setu Tujuh Muara clean-up action,” he said.
Dedi Irawan, one of the residents who was present, also welcomed the event. “Alhamdulillah, the Mobile Kitchen really helps those of us who exercise here. In addition, there are free health checks and environmental campaigns that encourage us to care more, such as using tumblr for drinking water to reduce plastic waste,” he said.
In addition to the activities mentioned above, the event also ended with a joint reflection session where participants were invited to write down their commitment to reducing waste during Ramadan. The participants shared experiences and strategies that they will apply in their daily lives to support a cleaner and healthier environment.
Let’s take advantage of the month of Ramadan as a momentum to improve ourselves and take care of the environment. Through the “Thirty Days Off Wasted” campaign, we are invited to be wiser in managing waste so that it is not wasted. Because the Earth is only one, it’s time for us to empower and act now. (Dompet Dhuafa)
Text and photos: Riza Muthohar, DMC
Editor: Dhika