Egypt's first waste-sorting plant
Green Tech Egypt established Egypt's first waste-sorting plant in 2018. Red Sea Governor General Ahmed Abdullah and Minister of Agriculture Dr Ezz EL-Din Abu Steit attended the opening ceremony.
General Abdullah described the recycling factory as the first in Egypt to use new recycling technology compatible with European standards. Its machinery was imported from the Netherlands and Germany and incorporates the latest recycling technology.
Green Tech Egypt completed the entire project, from signing through delivery and the start of operations, in a record time of 6 months. Today, HEPCA—the Hurghada Environmental Protection and Conservation Association—manages the plant.
- 2018
- Plant completed
- 6 months
- From signing to operations
- HEPCA
- Plant operator today
Inside the waste-sorting plant
Building the plant
The waste hierarchy
Most of a product's environmental footprint comes from extraction, production, transport and use—not only disposal. The most sustainable choice can therefore be not to buy the product in the first place. The hierarchy below ranks waste-management strategies from most to least environmentally preferable.
Prevention
Prevent waste at its source and refuse materials with excessive packaging. Prevention is the hierarchy's highest priority and the first step in reducing waste.
Reduce
Minimise or eliminate waste by buying, creating and using fewer items.
Reuse
Use an item again in its original form or for another function. Repairing damaged items and buying second-hand goods are practical examples.
Recycling
Collect and process materials that would otherwise be discarded and turn them into new products. Composting also recycles organic matter. Recycling is essential, but it sits lower in the hierarchy because producing and reprocessing materials still take time and energy.
Recovery
When waste cannot be prevented, reduced, reused or recycled, energy recovery is the preferred strategy. Incineration feeds energy to the grid and leaves ash equal to only 10% of the original volume. Some countries use this residue in cement or asphalt, allowing a WTE plant to contribute to a circular economy.
A landmark project in Hurghada
