Walking down Cairo’s streets, it’s common to find garbage piled up on every corner, regardless of the neighbourhood. The city spews out at least 17,000 tonnes of trash a day, according to its former Governor, Atef Abdelhamid.
Recovering economic value from garbage, as President Sisi recently exhorted his government to do, remains a challenge. Most is thrown out unsorted and proper waste management is wanting. The piles of rubbish get picked over by cats and dogs, and those digging out items of value – but much of it lies, malodourously, on the streets.
