The partnership agreement between Dow Chemical and WasteAid was signed on December 14th, 2021. The packaging solutions provider and the British non-governmental organization (NGO) are committed to working towards a circular economy around plastic waste in Egypt. As such, the two partners will support the development of “scalable and sustainable solutions for the collection and recovery of post-consumer polyethylene (PE), which is used in a wide range of packaging applications such as food and other household products,” says WasteAid. Special attention will be paid to the work of informal sector collectors and recycling start-ups. These two actors play a key role in the management of plastic waste in the land of the pharaohs.
Towards improved collection and recycling
Dow and WasteAid have experience in collecting and recycling plastic waste through various initiatives in Africa, including Dow’s “ReflexNG” sanitation project in Lagos, Nigeria. ReflexNG is part of Dow’s global “Stop The Waste” sustainability goal to collect, reuse or recycle one million tons of plastics worldwide by 2030. WasteAid, meanwhile, aims to raise awareness and build skills for the development of the circular economy on the African continent.
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In Egypt, the two partners will also work to improve the collection and recycling of plastic waste. Dow and WasteAid will work with public, private and community stakeholders in Aswan, over the next 18 months. Egypt generates an average of 5.4 metric tons of plastic waste per year according to the American Chamber of Commerce in Egypt (AmCham Egypt) with a direct impact on the environment.
In addition to reducing pollution, the new partnership between Dow and WasteAid will have a strong economic impact in terms of revenue and job creation. The agreement comes at a time when many other companies are getting involved in the field to improve plastic waste recycling in Egypt.
Inès Magoum