CAIRO: A project in Cairo is looking to bring recycling to the Egyptian population. Gamayit El-Misbah El-Mudii is an innovative initiative in Cairo that provides a free, door-to-door pick-up service for recyclable items throughout the city. The group's pick-up service is bi-weekly, with a designated day for each city zone. They collect items including paper, plastic, glass, appliances, batteries and furniture. Gamayit El-Misbah El-Mudii was started in 2005 as an employment initiative. It has employed nearly 70 people to date. “The groups founder was saddened by a lack of employment in the city, and by the excess of trash in Cairo's city streets. She put the two ideas together, creating a reliable service that both employs people and helps to address Cairo's trash problems,” said Catherine el-Faweed, a representative from the group. The group's workers distribute reusable bags to its clients, in which clients may place their recyclable materials. Workers then pick up recycled items from zones throughout the city and sell the items to refineries for a profit. According to Gamayit El-Misbah El-Mudii, the group now collects recyclable items from an estimated 7,000 homes, businesses and schools in the city. The group is eager to broaden its reach and provide its service to more people across Cairo. Using this simple sign-up sheet, residences, companies and schools across Cairo may register themselves for the service. BM
