UAE is enjoying the biggest festival of year i.e. Eid. Entire nation is in festive mood. People are enjoying LONG EID BREAK(Government offices and schools are closed for  9 days whereas private offices are closed for 3 days). People eat a lot and waste a lot during this feast time. Addressing the food waste issue during this time , UAE govt, is doing a great job by spreading awareness and emphasizing on the need to cut on food waste  and dispose off waste neatly at designated places.

UAE govt is urging people through newspapers and other media  to take responsibility for the waste they generate as the Eid Al Adha celebrations began with gatherings at home and outdoor picnics.

The amount of waste increases sharply during Eid but people have been reminded to follow some simple steps to minimise littering at public places like parks and beaches.

Environment Agency-Abu Dhabi (EAD) is campaigning to avoid food wastage.

Campaign highlights: ?If you can make it sure that things you discarded at a public place are properly disposed of at a waste bin, it will help others like you to enjoy the place after you leave.?. ?Please don?t expect that everything will be cleaned by the cleaners deployed at the public places. If everyone takes the responsibility of the waste one generates, the public places will remain neat and tidy during the holidays.?

Everyone should do their best to minimise the food waste .

About 39 per cent of over 1.1 million tonnes of municipal waste annually generated here e.g. in Abu Dhabi(UAE?s capital) is organic material, mainly leftover food discarded by residents. This waste contributes to losing land to landfills, carbon emissions and climate change.

According to the UN Food and Agriculture Organisation (FAO), every year 1.3 billion tonnes of food is wasted. This is equivalent to the amount produced in the whole of sub-Saharan Africa. At the same time, one in every seven people in the world go to bed hungry and more than 20,000 children under the age of five die daily from hunger.

The EAD is making people aware that while many food products are biodegradable, its non-consumption means that precious resources used in its cultivation and production are wasted, such as energy, water and materials used for its packaging. Carbon emissions resulting from the food?s transportation, storage and disposal also contribute to climate change.

The Centre of Waste Management–Abu Dhabi (CWM) has deployed additional staff members and equipment through extended working hours during the holidays for waste collection from slaughter houses, as well as the clean-up of residential and popular areas such as mosques, public parks and beaches.

Also the campaign gives the below 10 tips to reduce the amount of food waste:

1. Cook less: Make enough food for the number of guests at the table. If you are six people, don?t cook food for 10. The Prophet Mohammad (PBUH) said: ?The food of two people is enough for three, and the food of three people is enough for four.? (Sahih Bukhari, Sahih Muslim)

2. Buy locally: Flying food across continents increases global transportation emissions.

3. Plan your meals: Keep the cupboards and fridge stocked with the basics (milk, eggs, yoghurt etc.) so that when it comes time to writing your shopping list, you will only buy those ingredients you need. This tip will not only cut down food waste, it will also save you time and money as well.

4. Be aware of expiry dates: Keep an eye on the ?best before? or ?use by? dates

5. Don?t go grocery shopping when hungry: Ever noticed that if you go grocery shopping when hungry you end up buying unnecessary amounts or kinds of food that might not end up consuming? Avoid impulse buys and take your grocery list with you.

6. Make use of your leftovers: Go online or get creative and make the most of your leftovers by making delicious, innovative dishes.

7. Be a food saving hero: Make the most of the food you buy and find out what types of food can be frozen, stored, dehydrated etc so that you avoid throwing anything away.

8. Avoid piling up your plate: When you are out at a social event or gathering which boasts an open buffet, avoid piling food on your plate. Be sensible when choosing what to eat, this way you avoid throwing excess food.

9. Feel with others: Remember that there are always people out there who are in need of food, so instead of throwing away leftovers, give them away to those in need. Please make sure that the food is safe to eat before donating it to others.

10. Compost your waste: By composting your organic waste you are returning nutrients back into the soil. Dispose of organic waste in a proper manner and protect the environment.

— Source: The Environment Agency–Abu Dhabi and Gulf News