Youth for Segregation and Recycling

Youth Project for Garbage Segregation and Recycling

April 2009-May 2010

Funded by Naseej Program, Save The Children (US Program)

Objectives:

To raise community awareness on the importance and benefits of Source Separation, ie. improved solid waste management, a cleaner Cairo, the preservation of the environment, and more job opportunities. Also to integrate the Zabaleen into the formal sector of waste management in Cairo. 

Significance: 

Cairo’s incorporation of multinational companies into their system of waste management challenged the Zabaleen community to find ways to adapt to this new order. After the Culling of the Pigs in 2009, the Zabaleen began collecting only non-organic waste from the streets, while the multinational companies were collecting all types of waste and selling organic waste to the Zabaleen which in turn was sold to compost factories. If the residents can be mobilized to separate the waste before disposing of it, then the ensuing step is to interact with the institutions responsible for formal waste management so that the Zabaleen can be contracted to collect all non-organic waste for recycling, and the multinational companies can be contracted to collect all organic waste to process and sell for compost. 

Target group:

Area: Greater Cairo

Universities, schools, clubs, hotels, NGOs, Egyptian and international companies, and any other institutions that accept the initiative to separate waste into organic and non-organic materials.

Methods:

• Hiring youth from within the community to make presentations to hotels, clubs, schools, and large companies to educate them about the importance of Source Separation.

• Identify areas and neighborhoods that demonstrate good potential for acceptance of Source Segregation and conduct field visits to demonstrate effective separation of waste into two bins.

• Create a database of contacts: compose emails for those unable to attend presentations; telephone potential hosts for the initiative presentations; organize surprise first visits and follow-up visits. 

• Train garbage collectors on the correct collection of separated waste and develop system for solid waste management.

Achievements:

• Spread the word of the garbage segregation in 273 organizations and institutions in Greater Cairo.

• Reached 13650 people attended and participated in the awareness seminars. 

• The Brick Factory School has practiced Source Segregation since its opening in 2006.

• After a visit to the Brick Factory School, the Sharkawy Law Firm implemented Source Segregation in the workplace. 

• Six girls from Sacred Heart Middle School took the initiative to purchase colored waste bins to put in their homes to begin the separation of waste.