The Egyptian subsidiary of the Mexican cement company Cemex is renewing its partnership on sustainable waste management, particularly in the governorate of Assiut, 25 kilometres west of the Nile.
As part of its “Future in Action” initiative focused on sustainable development, the Mexican company Cemex, which specialises in construction materials, wants to rid the planet of 40 million tonnes of waste by 2030, particularly in Egypt where it is active in the cement and aggregates sector. Cemex is therefore partnering with VeryNile’s project for the collection and recycling of solid waste around the western bank of the Nile in Assiut.
This governorate, with a population of 4.2 million, is made up of the towns of Assiut, Abnub, Abou Tig, Daïrout, El Badari and Manfalout, where industrial activities contribute to the pollution of the 6,671-kilometre-long river. In a context marked by water stress and illegal fishing in Egypt, the eco-responsible initiative of VeryNile and Cemex’s Egyptian subsidiary should enable the development of the circular economy through sustainable waste management.
“Just like our first Nile clean-up operation (in July 2022) in the governorates of Cairo and Giza, we will use the non-recyclable and non-hazardous fraction of the waste collected from our kilns to achieve carbon neutrality in landfills. This is an alternative to fossil fuels and natural raw materials,” explains Fernando Gonzalez, Cemex’s president for the United Arab Emirates (UAE) and Egypt.
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At the same time, the authorities in the North African country have begun construction of 31 recycling plants, including a “solid waste management complex” in the 10 Ramadan industrial zone near Cairo, as well as a controlled landfill that will facilitate the sorting and recovery of household waste in the governorate of Qalyubiya. These facilities, eight of which will be delivered by June 2023, will help reduce urban waste pollution.
Benoit-Ivan Wansi
