Dr. Yasser Abdullah, Assistant Minister of Environment and CEO of the Waste Management Regulatory Authority, stated that Egypt has a comprehensive strategic plan for waste management across governorates. He noted that the volume of waste in Egypt reaches about 100 million tons annually, including household, agricultural, industrial, and other types, with agricultural waste alone exceeding 50 million tons.

He added in a Zoom interview on the program “Kol Al Ab’ad” on Extra News channel that the national waste management plan includes developing infrastructure, attracting investments, and enhancing cooperation with the private sector, while defining the returns from recycling operations. He explained that the Ministry of Environment and its partners have started establishing infrastructure to handle household waste, raising the recycling rate to between 37% and 40%, compared to only 10% previously handled by the informal sector.

Abdullah pointed out that the rate will reach 60% by 2026, confirming the existence of a parallel strategy to deal with various types of waste and recycle them in ways that serve the environment and public health.

He explained that the investment law has provided important incentives for companies working in recycling using indigenous technology, such as “Mechanical Biological Treatment,” which produces organic compost and alternative fuel for cement factories. He praised the ministerial decision that obliges cement factories to use 10% of their energy from waste-derived fuel.

He continued that compost production has contributed to supporting agricultural reform projects, adding that there are ongoing partnerships with the Ministry of Finance to provide land usufruct rights to investors in waste recycling plants. He noted that there are 27 cement factories in Egypt, 24 of which plan to use alternative fuel, while 7 factories are already investing in waste recycling projects.