Amman: The Ministry of Awqaf and Islamic Affairs signed a memorandum of understanding (MoU) on Monday with the Waste Recycling Cooperative Association to implement the plastic recycling project in mosques.
According to Jordan News Agency, the ministry's Secretary-General, Ismail Khataba, who inked the memo with the association's president Hussein Abu Jabal, stated that the initiative will promote institutional and community-based environmental culture through more than 5,000 mosques, whose weekly Friday sermons reach thousands of citizens across the Kingdom.
The initiative will initially start in about 100 mosques, with plans for a gradual expansion to include grand mosques across all governorates. The project will organize specialized training workshops for collecting, sorting, and recycling waste generated in mosques, particularly focusing on plastic water bottles and cardboard.
Khataba emphasized that recycling and cleanliness align with religious principles, which regard cleanliness as an essential tenet of the faith. He expressed hope that the project would extend sustainable environmental practices to homes and society as a whole, as envisioned by Jordan's 2026-2027 National Cleanliness and Anti-Littering Strategy.
On his part, Abu Jabal noted that changing community behavior and reinforcing environmental protection have been primary objectives of the association. He highlighted that waste recycling has significant environmental, economic, and social dimensions, providing employment opportunities for thousands and contributing to supporting families and improving their sources of income.