The private sector in Egypt has collaborated with the government to reduce carbon emissions and get rid of environmental pollutants safely, in line with Egypt’s Vision 2030 and the country’s hosting of the COP27 United Nations Climate Change Conference in 2022 in the Red Sea resort of Sharm El-Sheikh.
In this regard, Egypt’s Plastic Bank announced the results of its efforts in 2021 and plans for 2022 to reduce the country’s plastic pollution.
It said it has managed to collect 2,700 tons of plastic waste, which is equivalent to 150 million bottles during 2021, exceeding the target set at the beginning of the year by 105 percent.
“We are highly optimistic and proud of what we have accomplished in 2021 by boosting the circular economy in a way that serves the sustainable development goals and Egypt’s vision 2030,” said the Regional Director for Egypt, the Middle East and Africa, Amr al-Kady.
“We are also pleased with Plastic Bank’s impact in Egypt and its journey to raising awareness on the negative consequences of plastic pollution and the importance of proper plastic waste disposal.”
“We look forward to achieving further progress in the coming year by expanding across governorates and developing our system for collecting plastic waste and recycling operations,” he added.
According to Kady, the Plastic Bank’s strategy relies heavily on specific factors, including expanding across governorates by increasing the number of collection centers and quantities of plastic waste collected, creating tactical partnerships with major private-sector firms operating in various fields and developing the enterprise’s online application.
Additionally, the social enterprise supports gender equality and empowering underprivileged communities, he noted during a discussion panel on Zoom.
Regarding its expansion, Kady said the enterprise has expanded across several governorates in collaboration with Henkel Egypt, establishing 11 collection centers nationwide in 2021.
Plastic Bank is a social enterprise that aims at creating a recycling-based community through providing job opportunities and income resources for collecting plastic waste.
It is helping the world stop ocean plastic, while improving the lives of collector communities and establishing a collection ecosystem in coastal communities and integrate the plastic back into recycling value chains as Social Plastic to be reused in global industries.
Plastic waste collectors receive money, services or goods in exchange for plastic waste, providing them with secure lives.
Also, Plastic Bank fights child labor, converts informal sector into a formal one, develops work places according to HSE standards, encourages education and improve collectors’ lives.
