According to the World Wildlife Fund (WWF), Egypt generates an average of 270,000 tonnes of plastic waste out of the 570,000 tonnes that cross the Mediterranean each year. This is the background to a new partnership between the Egyptian subsidiary of German food company Lorenz Snack-World and Plastic Bank, a company committed to the fight against plastic waste in the oceans. The alliance will allow the collection of at least 20,000 kilograms of plastic waste, or more than one million single-use plastic bottles, by the end of 2022.
The operation, which will be carried out in several Egyptian governorates such as Cairo, aims to improve the living conditions of coastal communities. “Plastic Bank wants to reduce plastic waste to support the vision of environmental sustainability, social development and circular economy in Egypt,” says Amr El-Kady, Plastic Bank’s regional director for Egypt, Middle East and Africa.
For his part, Lorenz Snack-World’s General and Financial Director in Egypt, Abdulla Ezzat, suggested that his company will provide plastic waste collectors with basic necessities for their families, including food, in exchange for their waste. Founded in 1899, the company has over 3,000 employees and exports its crisp ranges to over 80 countries.
Improving the waste management system in Cairo
In 2020, the Egyptian government allocated 12 billion Egyptian pounds (more than $641 million) for the establishment of a waste management system aimed at eliminating several landfills and recovering energy from waste across the country. In Cairo, this budget allowed for the establishment of two recycling kiosks where Cairo residents could exchange their waste, including cans, tins and plastic bottles, for cash.
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Two years later, the Cairo city authorities are planning to hand over the supervision of municipal waste management to a private company by 2023. The company will be responsible for monitoring the collection, transportation, sanitation, treatment and disposal of solid waste in this governorate of 10 million people.
Benoit-Ivan Wansi