Egypt eyes moneymaking potential of e-waste
Egypt is one of Africa's biggest generators of e-waste, but the growing pollution problem also offers economic opportunities.
Mobile phones, computers and tablets play a vital role in our lives today, but they also contribute to a growing electronic waste problem. Given the speed of developments in technology, the shorter lifespan of these products and the replacement of electronic devices with newer models, e-waste will only continue to grow.
Electrical and electronic equipment waste is one of the fastest growing waste streams in the world and Egypt is no exception. According to the latest report by Global E-waste Monitor, Egypt is one of Africa's biggest e-waste-generating countries at 0.5 million metric tons annually. The world is reported to have generated a total of 44.7 metric tons of e-waste in 2017.
Most of this waste is not recycled. Globally, 15-20% of e-waste is recycled while only 5% of e-waste is processed in the Middle East and North Africa. The rest is usually dumped in landfills.
Recycling this waste is the right thing to do not only for Egypt's ecology, but for its economy as well. Ghada Moghny, senior program specialist at the Centre for Environment and Development for the Arab Region and Europe (CEDARE), believes that e-waste holds a lot of potential for Egypt.
