et guide: 10 key decisions for integrated waste management in Egypt

CAIRO - 2 April 2026: Egyptian Minister of Local Development and Environment Dr. Manal Awad, unveiled the 2027 roadmap for integrated waste management, addressing several key issues. 

The addressed issues range from extending license periods for investors to bringing waste sorting and compaction activities under the umbrella of the law, thus ensuring the closure of loopholes and haphazard practices in this sector, which has become a cornerstone of national environmental security.

During the fifth meeting of the newly formed Board of Directors of the Waste Management Regulatory Authority, approximately 10 crucial decisions were made regarding this matter.

In the below lines, et will display the key decisions made for integrated waste management:

1- Adoption of the new budget: 

Approval of the draft budget for the fiscal year (2026/2027) in line with infrastructure expansion plans.

2- Extension of licenses: 

Directing a study on extending the license period for non-hazardous waste activities to support investment stability.

3- Classification by type: 

Approving the classification of licenses according to the division stipulated in the law to ensure specialization and technical accuracy.

4- Separate licenses: 

Granting separate licenses for each type: waste collection, transportation, and treatment, in order to ensure effective oversight.

5- Comprehensive activities:

These include waste from ships, marine works, demolition and construction, and agricultural waste within the official system of the authority.

6- Regulating the compaction sector: 

Officially including the activity of "separating and compacting packaging waste" within the activities of integrated non-hazardous waste management.

7- Extended Producer Responsibility: 

Linking compaction activity data to the Extended Producer Responsibility system in the future to ensure product lifecycle tracking.

8- Digital Monitoring: 

Requiring all sites to link their "incoming and sales" transactions to a unified electronic system with the Waste Management Regulatory Authority, where it is easy to be monitored. 

9- Renewal Periods: 

Establishing controls for calculating renewal validity to begin immediately from the expiry date of the previous license to prevent legal ambiguity.

10- Environmental impact: 

Determining the fees for providing environmental impact assessment studies for the activities like: collection, transportation and treatment of waste.