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Daily News Egypt
18-06-2025
- Business
- Daily News Egypt
Waste management reform expands with private sector involvement: Environment Minister
Egypt's Minister of Environment, Yasmine Fouad, announced on Wednesday that the country's solid waste management system has witnessed significant progress in recent years, driven by close coordination between the government, parliament, and private sector. She revealed that Egypt's recycling rate has risen from 10% in 2018 to 37% in 2024, with plans to reach 60% by 2027. Speaking during a session of the Local Administration Committee in Parliament—chaired by MP Ahmed El-Sigini and attended by key ministers and officials—Fouad credited the Waste Management Law (Law 202/2020) as a cornerstone for introducing circular economy practices and expanding private sector involvement. 'When we began, there were only two private contracts in the recycling sector. Today, we have 36 contracts across the value chain—from collection and transportation to processing and recycling,' Fouad noted. She highlighted the growing role of the private sector in waste-to-energy projects, including landfill gas recovery and sludge-to-power generation. A government-approved feed-in tariff, coordinated with the ministries of electricity, housing, and local development, is expected to further incentivize investment in this area. Among the key projects mentioned were the landfill gas recovery initiative at the Salam landfill site and the sludge-to-energy conversion project at the Abu Rawash wastewater treatment plant. Addressing funding challenges, Fouad called for the full activation of financing mechanisms embedded in the law, including allocations from property taxes, surpluses from the Local Development Fund, and Extended Producer Responsibility (EPR) schemes. She pointed to the launch of Egypt's first EPR initiative in February, initially targeting single-use plastic bags and eventually expanding to packaging materials and metal products. These measures, she said, are expected to provide a consistent revenue stream for the waste management system. Fouad also highlighted the financial turnaround of the Waste Management Regulatory Agency, which has become an economic authority and recorded a surplus of EGP 45m. The minister reviewed progress in the signing and execution of waste collection and recycling service contracts across Egypt and addressed critical infrastructure needs in Giza and Qalyubeya governorates. Committee Chair El-Sigini congratulated Fouad on her recent appointment to a prominent international environmental post and praised her leadership in tackling Egypt's longstanding waste challenges. 'Parliament has been a committed partner in this journey since 2015,' he said, underscoring the importance of consolidating and expanding the gains achieved to ensure long-term sustainability.
Egypt Today
18-06-2025
- Business
- Egypt Today
Egypt Targets 60% Waste Recycling Rate by 2027
Recycling Cairo - 18 June 2025: Yasmine Fouad, Egypt's Minister of Environment, announced before the Local Administration Committee of the House of Representatives that the country is aiming to achieve a 60% recycling rate for municipal solid waste by the year 2027, up from just 10% when the waste management system began in 2018 . She explained that, by the end of 2024, recycling rates had already increased to 37%, with the goal set to reach 60% by 2027. This effort is expected to secure raw materials for organic fertilizer and alternative fuels, supporting Egypt's circular economy agenda . The minister emphasized that the Waste Management Law is designed not only to promote recycling but also to attract private-sector participation in infrastructure. Initially, the system included just two public-private contracts; that number has since surged to 36 contracts covering waste collection, transport, treatment, and recycling—many introduced simultaneously across several governorates to speed nationwide implementation . In addition, Dr. Fouad highlighted innovative initiatives converting waste to energy—such as landfill gas and sewage sludge projects. Notable success stories include the transformation of landfill gas at Al-Salam landfill and sewage sludge at Abu Rawash into energy sources, backed by a new feed-in-tariff approved by a multi-ministerial committee . Financing these ventures has involved activating legal fees stipulated in the Waste Management Law, tapping property tax revenues, drawing from provincial development funds, and introducing an Extended Producer Responsibility (EPR), starting with single-use plastic bags as of February 2025, and soon to include other packaging and metallic products . She also noted that the newly formed Waste Management Regulatory Authority, transformed into an 'economic authority,' successfully generated a surplus of EGP 45 million, validating the financial viability and impact of the legal reforms . Dr. Fouad outlined the journey from 2018 to date: a sizeable leap in recycling rates and collection efficiency (rising from 60% to 74%), extensive contract rollouts, and the expansion of recycling infrastructure across governorates—including urgent interventions in Giza and Qalyubia . Her closing remarks thanked all stakeholders—government, parliament, private sector, and ministry staff—for their collective cooperation in building and advancing Egypt's integrated waste-management landscape .
