‘Preserving Blessings’ initiative combats food waste in West Irbid

AMMAN — Promoting the values of rejecting extravagance and rejecting the disregard for leftover bread, the West Irbid municipality started the “Preserving Blessings” initiative, which recycles leftover bread from households, restaurants and bakeries and dumpsters to generate revenue, which is then donated to charity. 


Nora Al Bataineh and her team developed the idea while working on a waste recycling programme. Reserving Grace promotes the concept of appreciating one’s blessings, avoiding extravagance and excess in food and drink, and moderating spending.
According to Bataineh, the initiative collects leftover bread in boxes designed for preservation. According to needs identified by surveys, municipality personnel collect the bread and distribute it to livestock and bird owners to be used for fodder.


“West Irbid mayor, Shiekh Jamal Al Bataineh, issued instructions to create volunteer, charitable and non-profit initiatives aimed at bringing happiness to families in need by distributing the yield as charity parcels,” Bataineh added.

“Preserving Blessings” has helped to promote citizens’ awareness of the importance of buying only the quantities of bread needed, and to allow other parties to benefit from leftover bread, rather than wasting it. The initiative has also helped preserve cleanliness and environmental health, and has used its revenue to distribute charity parcels to families in need.