3 ministers review progress rate of Egypt’s municipal solid waste system

CAIRO - 7 February 2021: In fulfillment of the directives of Egypt’s President Abdel-Fattah El-Sisi to the government to take urgent steps to implement the new system for managing municipal solid waste in the various governorates; ministers of environment, local development, and planning met recently to discuss the latest developments in the municipal solid waste system

The meeting that took place via video conference followed up on the latest developments in the "operational plan for the municipal solid waste management system", within the framework of the comprehensive program that includes different aspects of the system, which is infrastructure, operating contracts, and institutional support.

During the meeting, Dr. Hala El-Said, Minister of Planning and Economic Development said that the solid waste management system is one of the most important mechanisms for achieving development goals related to the environment, whether at the level of the UN development goals or the goals of Egypt’s 2030 vision and achieving more sustainability of environmental resources.

El-Said noted that the Ministry of Planning seeks to support the new system and work with partner ministries to implement it with the highest quality that is reflected in the citizen's quality of life.

El-Said asserted that the financial allocations required to implement the infrastructure for the new waste system were made available in the current fiscal year, and the necessary financial vision for the works in the new fiscal year will be developed according to the needs of the implementing agencies of the system in a way that achieves the objectives of the general plan of the Egyptian state.

El-Said added that the new system provides sources of clean energy through recycling technology that aims to generate energy, as well as creating organic fertilizers that serve the agricultural sector and improve the environmental condition of the soil.

Moreover, it provides new job opportunities for a large number of young people.

During the meeting, Major General Mahmoud Shaarawy, Minister of Local Development reviewed the executive status of the various aspects of the system pertinent to the first program for infrastructure development, especially the construction of sanitary landfills and intermediate, fixed, and mobile stations, and the closure of random landfills, in coordination with the Ministry of Military Production and the Arab Organization for Industrialization.

Shaarawy said that, in coordination between the governorates and the Arab Organization for Industrialization, accumulations of garbage and waste are being lifted from 38 sites in 4 governorates, namely Beheira, Sharkia, Aswan, and Gharbia, with a total of 447,000 tons, as the accumulation of 402 has been completed with an achievement rate of 90%, and 5 has been completed.

Moreover, five fixed intermediate stations were completed in the governorates of Cairo, Beni Suef, and Beheira, and all equipment for the intermediate stations in the first phase was 100% managed.

Shaarawy stated that the supply of 7 mobile intermediate stations in the governorates of Cairo, Damietta, and Ismailia has also been completed, in addition to the delivery and procurement of the necessary equipment for them.

About the sanitary burial cells, Shaarawy said that the implementation of 26 sanitary burial cells is underway and the implementation of 17 cells has already started in 13 governorates.

Regarding waste recycling factories, Shaarawy said that 3 production lines are being established with the knowledge of the Ministry of Military Production in Dar Al-Salam in Sohag and Tuna Al-Jabal in Minya, and the completion rate is about 70%. It was also agreed to develop the factories of Mahalla and Dafra in Al-Gharbiya and raise all the accumulations in the factories and establish a new line In Mahalla, its total capacity reaches 640 tons/day and the construction of two lines in Dafrah with a capacity of 1200 tons/day.

The Minister of Local Development also presented the plan for the system during the current fiscal year regarding the construction of fixed and mobile intermediate stations, new recycling lines, and sanitary landfills that will be established.

Shaarawy stressed that the government is racing against time to accelerate the implementation of the executive plan for the waste system at the highest level to bring about a major change in the level of cleanliness on the Egyptian street, to achieve the satisfaction of citizens, and to overcome all problems and challenges related to garbage and its safe disposal through a new system for integrated waste management.

During the meeting, Dr. Yasmine Fouad, Minister of Environment, reviewed the progress rate of the implementation of the new waste system at the level of infrastructure, employment, and institutional support programs, and the roles and responsibilities of each party, to identify the strengths and challenges facing implementation.

Fouad asserted that the Ministry of Environment is in charge of planning the system, and technical support to review and approve the technical designs of the infrastructure and follow up on implementation.

The Minister of Environment also confirmed the implementation of 80% of the infrastructure for the waste system in Cairo, including intermediate stations and factories, and the addition of a cell at the transit landfill until the completion of the Integrated Waste Management Complex on the tenth of Ramadan.

Moreover, a brochure of conditions for the waste system in Alexandria was presented and the infrastructure to be completed in it. The waste system in Port Said will be completed after finding the appropriate landfill.

The Minister of Environment explained that the involvement of the private sector in the part on recycling is currently taking place in the implementation of treatment plants to convert waste to energy, with promising results that have been achieved, starting with the adoption of the tariff of waste transfer for energy at a value of 140 piasters/kilowatt, and a request for companies to invest in it.

Yasmine pointed out that 93 companies applied, and 8 companies were selected to start in 8 governorates with investments of $ 385 million.

“Coordination is made with all parties to overcome obstacles and start implementation within the framework of the directives of the political leadership,” Yasmine said.

Yasmine added that the partnership mechanism with the private sector cannot be applied with the same standards in all respects, as each part of the system needs different mechanisms for partnership, so a complete concept will be made for the distribution of waste transfer plants for energy and recycling plants to produce fertilizer or alternative fuel, and to identify the attractions and incentives.

It was agreed at the end of the meeting that the Minister of Local Development would prepare a complete vision of the financial burdens required in the first and second stages to complete the implementation of the infrastructure of the system, and the Minister of Environment would prepare a complete concept and roadmap for the mechanism of government partnership with the private sector in implementing the system.