Ministerial committee convened for recycling programme

CAIRO - 6 September 2018: A committee combining officials from three ministers convened on Thursday to discuss implementing an integrated recycling system to eliminate the garbage problem widespread in Egypt.

The committee included State Minister of Military Production Said al-Assar, Minister of Environment Yasmine Fouad, and Minister of Local Development Mahmoud Shaarawi.

The meeting set plans to establish plants for different types of recycling. The extracted substances will be used in agriculture and manufacturing as well as for producing fuel, and generating electricity.

Assar told press after the meeting held at his ministry’s headquarters that military production companies built 68 recycling factories across the country since 1995. The minister also revealed that foreign offerings are under study to bring in and domesticate manufacturing technology of the necessary equipment and recycling lines.

Assar added that military production companies locally manufacture recycling equipment and production lines characterized by simple designs and ease of use in order to reduce importation and save up foreign currency.


State Minister of Military Production Said al-Assar (r) and Minister of Local Development Mahmoud Shaarawi - Press Photo

Shaarawy said that the level of cooperation between the three ministries is excellent and praised the manufacturing capabilities and the expertise available at the military production companies. He stressed the importance of also upgrading existing plants and production lines on the short-run.

The Local Development Ministry will be in charge of concerting efforts with municipalities and governorates’ administrations to improve garbage collection and create sustainable solutions.


State Minister of Military Production Said al-Assar (r) and Minister of Environment Yasmine Fouad - Press Photo


Fouad stated that the Environment Ministry prepared a map for garbage collection after gathering all information needed on the problem. The minister affirmed her confidence in the capabilities of the two other ministries, ensuring the National Programme for Recycling success.

The Cabinet allocated last year LE 300 million ($17 million) for the new waste collection system to purchase necessary gear and pay the wages of the additional labor.

The new model will depend on workers to collect garbage door to door, and will cancel garbage bins from streets to prevent garbage collectors from sorting waste in the streets, which was the old model of dealing with waste.

The new system was put into effect last September in Maadi, following the completion of contracts with foreign companies, and was successful in ending waste accumulation in the neighborhood’s streets.

Cairo Governor Atef Abdel Hamid affirmed that the new system will be implemented all over Cairo gradually after the completion date of the current contracts with foreign companies in each neighborhood, announcing that the next area where the new system will be introduced is Tora.

On the other hand, Egypt

imported

garbage for LE 5 billion from January 1 to April 30, which marks a 20 percent increase compared to the same period in 2017. A total of 60 kinds of waste are allowed to be imported to Egypt, but in 2017 ministerial decisions allowed the entry of new types of waste, including hazardous waste.