From the Editorial Team of “The Green Leaf”

Greetings and Salaam to Everyone!

We at the Chicago Muslims Green Team (CMGT) are looking forward to two special celebrations during the month of April: Ramadan and Earth Day. As many members of the team prepare for the 29-30 day fast of Ramadan, we are mindful of the Islamic teachings that encourage us to reduce waste and live the value of Earth stewardship:

“He is the one who made you Khalifahs (vicegerents, stewards, guardians)
of the Earth.” (Surah Al-An’am, 6:165)

This year, Earth Day falls on April 22, nearly one week into Ramadan. For the past two years, Green Ramadan has been an integral part of CMGT’s educational efforts to reduce waste and promote a sustainable lifestyle. Our signature event, Zero Waste Iftar helps to educate the Muslim community about recycling, composting, and food waste while encouraging the community to host events in an environmentally-friendly way. Last year, because of the pandemic, we were able to extend our reach beyond local mosques by connecting online with national and international partners to share ideas and approaches that combat the environmental degradation of our planet. This year, we are working with a new partner, the Islamic Society of North America (ISNA) to promote Green Ramadan through initiatives like “Zero Waste Iftars” and “Shop Free Eid.” Like the first Earth Day in 1970, it is our hope these initiatives will become a regular part of Ramadan celebrations across the world! During April, CMGT will continue to gather materials to support our current Jiran Project: PLARN SLEEPING MATS to help neighbors who are facing the challenges of houselessness in Chicago and other metropolitan areas. Please help us to reach our goal of providing 100 plarn (plastic yarn) sleeping mats to our neighbors. You can see our website for more information as well as upcoming distribution dates in early May.

We wish you a beautiful spring, and remember to be light on Earth by being mindful, using environmentally-friendly products and practices. Ramadan Mubarak! May you have a blessed Ramadan, and enjoy the blessings of this holy month.

– Editorial Team of The Green Leaf, Vol. 1, No. 3 – April 2021 Issue

Spring is finally here! It’s time to start gardening. Check out these three tips to save money in gardening.

1. Free compost and free mulch

Metropolitan Water Reclamation District of Greater Chicago offers free Exceptional Quality (EQ) Compost. According to their website, the EQ compost is a sustainable and environmentally beneficial product derived from wood chips collected from the City of Chicago’s routine tree trimming programs. They then process them with biosolids in open windrow machines.

The website lists six pick-up locations in Illinois. My favorite one is at 3500 Howard Street, Skokie. It is very easy to do BYOB (Bring Your Own Bucket). After the big “Free Compost” sign, you can park your car and then fill up your bucket(s) with as much compost as you have buckets for.

Chicago Departments of Streets and Sanitation also offers free mulch that is derived from the debris of trees and branches removed by the Bureau of Forestry. Their website lists four pick-up locations. My favorite BYOB location is at 5333 N. Western Ave. The mulch is available on a limited basis for pick-up during working hours of 6:30 am to 2:00 pm Monday-Friday.

2. Free used gardening supplies from Freecycle.org

If you need gardening supplies and you don’t mind using previously owned ones, sign up to freecycle.org, an online community for bartering. You can list “WANTED” items or items you can “OFFER” for others. Everything must be free and picked up.

I have been a member of this wonderful grassroots movement in Chicago for many years, and obtained lots of useful stuff and even shared my own items that I no longer needed.

Last year, I posted my WANTED items: shovels and medium sized flower pots. Not only did I get two shovels and multiple pots, I also got some gardening tools for free that the former owners wanted to get rid of.

The COVID-19 pandemic hasn’t halted bartering since porch pick-up became an easy and safe option. We have also shifted communication to email or phone, making face-to-face interaction unnecessary.

3. Recycle waste into gardening supplies

It is very easy to recycle and repurpose wastes. For example, toilet paper rolls or yogurt cups can be reused as seedling pots. Used plastic bottles and milk cartons can be repurposed into planters. Wire hangers can be recycled into many useful things too especially in gardening. I recycle my wire hangers into tomato cages and hooks for my greenhouse.

Another thing we can recycle for gardening supply is, of course, our food scraps! Instead of throwing away egg shells, banana peels, coffee grounds, etc., we should feed them to our plants. I got ½ pounds of red worms after I finished my C3 (Chicago Conservation Corps) training, and they worked wonderfully for turning my food scraps into compost.

Tag: spring

From the Editorial Team of “The Green Leaf”

Save Money, Save the Earth