Thursday March 28th, 2024
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Meet Egypt's First Auto-Recycling Machines

A small company called GreenTec has launched the first initiative of its kind in Egypt, in City Centre Alexandria, and the idea is brilliant in its simplicity: in return for deposition PET bottles/cans, you get free minutes on your mobile.

Staff Writer

It's by no means a new concept, but it's the first time it's been done in Egypt, and the Middle East for that matter. In a country and region that is sorely lacking in green initiatives, GreenTec's waste collection machines, designed in accordance with international standards, are a trailblazing and much-needed initiative in a country literally plagued by too much waste.

The idea is simple enough: you deposit your PET bottles/cans into a machine, and in return for this you get a receipt with "eco-points." In return for a minimum of 50 eco-points, you can redeem free minutes on your mobile from any telecommunications operator in the country.

Machines like these exist in many countries all over the world, but the initiative is the first of its kind in the region, and begins to address the nation's sore lack of waste management capacities and/or legislation. The initiative has already launched with the machines at City Centre Alexandria and will hopefully spread to other locations nationwide in the near future.

The company, GreenTec, was launched after a group of young Egyptians studied and planned the project for over a year. The system is set to automatically recycle waste material, addressing the issue of easing the waste burden affecting Egyptian citizens.

You can find out more about GreenTec on their website or Facebook page.