“Your waste is your capital” has been used as the title of an initiative currently under study by Hany Abdel-Gaber, Governor of Beni Sweif some 100km south of Cairo. Under the initiative, Beni Sweif residents would be able to get basic goods against their garbage.
The initiative aims at keeping Beni-Sweif clean, achieving an economic benefit for locals, and boosting the recycling business while getting rid of garbage in an environmentally friendly way.
Abdel-Gaber says that various local government departments would collaborate in order for the initiative to see light. Involved are the departments of sports and youth; social solidarity; environment; and small and medium enterprises. Beni-Sweif University and the National Council for Women will also contribute in efforts for the new initiative. According to the governor, the initiative involves exchanging paper, plastic, glass, wood, and organic wastes for a selection of commodities.
Abdel-Gaber has already delegated his deputy Assem Salama to oversee the procedures required to bring the initiative from concept to operation.