Solid waste management in Egypt

Abstract

In Egyptian urban areas, current collection rates for solid wastes are 30 to 77%, while no collection or disposal system is found in villages. All funds are directed to large cities. Changes in the life style in urban areas increase the amount, variety of produced wastes and waste disposal costs.  Mixing hazardous, toxic industrial wastes with general waste in dumping sites poses a significant risk in such areas, such as the Delta region, where the water table is high. Toxic industrial solid wastes have toxicity for both aquatic life and human beings. Accumulation of toxic wastes in river sediments was observed near factories.

The amount of agricultural solid wastes in the selected general directorates is growing due to the increased use of other fuel sources for. The impacts of agricultural solid wastes include deterioration of surface water quality due to the discharging of wastes into. Burning of agricultural wastes may cause air pollution which recently prohibited by law. Slaughterhouses wastes represent a source of pollution on urban settlement.

The bulk of irrigation slime wastes resulted from maintenance and widening of canals is dumped on the banks and substantial quantities are subsequently moved to low-level lands as a stop-dressing. Whilst this recycling may appear to be beneficial, take care should be when dealing with wastes those may contain heavy metals and microorganisms which may represents a source of public health hazards.  Constructing and demolition debris is suitable for re-use or it may be crushed into base materials for road building. These wastes may be seen disposed randomly on canals banks or on road sides throughout the cities. Waste management charges should ensure those who generate waste must pay the full cost of environmentally safe disposal. This will make waste recycling and resource recovery cost effective. For positive change to occur awareness needs to increase, and information generated regarding Egypt’s environmental conditions must be disseminated by all means to reach most people.