3.1 Summary of Key Players/Stakeholders
Key stakeholders, roles, and responsibilities in the Egyptian e-waste management system are diversified. The reverse supply chain of e-waste management includes a range of entities responsible for the functioning of different stages of the system (see Table 2 below).
Table 2: Main Stakeholders in the Chain, Roles and Responsibilities
Key Players | Roles and Responsibilities | Applicable Tools/Legislations |
Governmental Entities: (e.g., WMRA, EEAA) | Entities enacting laws and regulations, implementing and enforcing guidelines, requirements, standards, and rules of operation (see also section 2.3) |
|
Ministry of Local Development (Municipalities) | Responsible for the waste management implementation on the local level. The municipalities have certain system in place to handle waste in general. |
|
Producers, Manufacturers, Importers | Production of electrical and electronic equipment (EEE) which later turns into WEEE. |
|
Producer Responsibility Organizations (PROs) [5] | Operate e-waste take-back systems on behalf of producers/OEMs and ensure collected e-waste is transported to appropriate treatment centres and properly treated. There is currently no PRO for WEEE in Egypt.
|
|
Retailers | They act as an intermediary between producers and consumers. They could have their own collection centres or take-back points. | No specific rules established to control collection through retailers. |
Consumers | They are holders of WEEE and include:
| |
Waste Collectors | They may be formal or informal actors. | Formal sector collectors follow WMRA’s rules and control. |
Refurbishers | Refurbishers play a considerable role in feeding the second-hand market of EEE in Egypt. | No specific rules established to control the refurbishing business. |
Recyclers | Recyclers are divided into:
|
|
Downstream Vendors | Those are the organizations that purchase the materials such as copper, plastic, gold, etc., produced by recyclers. They could be national or international; they vary from jewelers to smelters. | All smelters should be certified by regulatory authorities. |
NGOs, International Development Partners | Several initiatives and studies have been undertaken, focusing on improving e-waste management practices through both regulatory frameworks and technological innovations (see also section 3.5). | They are committed to establishing local practices that align with international best practices for WEEE management. |
3.2 Current WEEE Reverse Supply Chain
The reverse supply chain for the management of WEEE in Egypt includes: WEEE generation, collection, transport, storage, pre-treatment and final treatment (recycling, disposal).
3.2.1 Collection
WEEE is generated by the Egyptian public sector, civic sector (NGOs), the private sector (large companies and SMEs) as well as by households. NGOs sometimes get WEEE through donations.
Some actors (e.g., recyclers, refurbishers) collect materials through corporate and government auctions (approved by WMRA) and private sector disposal contracts. The formal part of the collection sector comprises holders of EEAA permits. In 2024, there is also take-back system for lead acid batteries adopted by local producers certified by WMRA.
Informal collectors, however, are also abundant – many public and private entities treat e-waste as general scrap, often selling it to informal dealers, or formal ones without environmental approvals. Informal collectors also do door-to-door collection, especially from households. A clear mechanism (such as take-back schemes and fixed collection points) for collecting e-waste from households is currently absent.
3.2.2 Transportation
WEEE in Egypt is transported both formally and informally from:
Transient collection points
Permanent collection points at business sites such as corporate premises
Collection and transport from auctions of corporate companies or governmental entities
Transfer between users
Disposal after use (hazardous materials disposal in specific hazardous waste landfills)
Activities related to WEEE movement between two points such as storage, supply, movement for processing, etc.
The formal sector is committed to the proper transportation of WEEE, by obtaining EEAA permits, following well-documented routes, handling e-waste safely. Informally, it is often transported in regular and unlicensed trucks and carts like non-hazardous waste – as enforcement of transporting e-waste via licensed hazardous waste transportation companies is lacking. Additionally, there are no specific regulations mandating requirements for e-waste containers during transportation and handling, or for labelling.
3.2.3 Storage
Storage is sometimes managed by formal actors (holding EEAA permits for the facilities, including through an EIA study) but also often by informal actors. Informal actors do not follow general safety guidelines for storage of hazardous components and use unlicensed facilities which are unequipped with safety gears. Formal actors register and keep records of collected equipment and aim to meet minimum requirements for safety and storage space management.
3.2.4 Pre-treatment (including dismantling)
Informal dismantlers are still abundant in Egypt, extracting valuable recyclable fractions to trade with formal recyclers and smelters, as well as components and fractions to trade with refurbishers while causing environmental pollution and health hazards through unsound treatment and disposal practices. Refurbishers, both formal and informal, play a considerable role in feeding the second-hand market of electrical equipment in Egypt. Illegal and informal export of e-waste components and fractions is likely to happen as well.
Dismantling by the formal sector happens in formal establishments that obtained a permit from EEAA through an Environmental and Social Impact Assessment (ESIA) study following the Guidelines for the Segregation, Sorting, Pre-treatment and Storage of E-waste Components Containing Heavy Metals and POPs [6] and operate under WMRA’s control.
Safe and environmentally sound e-waste recycling requires certain pre-treatment steps where components containing hazardous substances are removed and recyclable materials are separated into fractions, from which secondary raw materials can be recovered without material losses. According to the Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA), personal protective equipment is divided into four categories (A, B, C, and D) based on the degree of protection afforded. At least level D of personal protective equipment (PPE) is required for handling the hazardous fractions (Levels A, B, and C offer more protection).
3.2.5 Final Treatment (including recycling), Disposal
Recycling and recovery of fractions also happen formally or informally. Formal recyclers are those who possess a formal industrial facility certified by EEAA and operate under WMRA’s control. There are currently 27 formal WEEE recyclers that do both pre-treatment and recycling and 9 formal lead-acid battery recyclers in Egypt (see also section 3.3 and 3.4). Since there are no lithium battery recyclers, the alternative solution in Egypt is to export lithium batteries to recycling facilities outside the country, or to landfill them locally (see Table 3 below). Specific WEEE fractions like plastics with brominated flame retardants (BFRs) also do not have local formal recycling options, they are either safely disposed in hazardous waste landfills as shredded plastic or sent outside Egypt to specialiced recycling facilities or incineration plants.
Table 3: Final Treatment and Disposal Options in Egypt (2024)
Facilities | Description | Remarks |
Formal Recycling Facilities | There are 27 formal recycling Facilities (section 3.3). These facilities are validated by EEAA and working in accordance with WMRA’s guidelines. | The number is subject to increase over time. |
Hazardous Waste Landfills | El Nasereya Hazardous Landfill: It is the first of its kind in Egypt and the first center for the safe disposal of hazardous waste in the Middle East. It receives 39 types of hazardous waste from waste generating companies from all governorates of Egypt from Alexandria to Aswan. | |
Private Sector Hazardous Waste Landfills | The Arab Center for Safe Disposal of Hazardous and Non-Hazardous Waste was established as a specialized and qualified company by EEAA in the field of safe disposal of hazardous and non-hazardous waste. The site includes technology for incinerating industrial, pharmaceutical and medical hazardous waste. It also has solid hazardous waste burial cells and a unit for hardening and stabilising hazardous waste. Eco-conserv Hazardous Waste Landfill | These are certified facilities by EEAA that receive hazardous waste in general and waste resulting from WEEE recycling. |
3.3 Formal WEEE Recyclers in Egypt
The formal recycling sector in Egypt can be classified in three categories [8]:
Category 1: Facilities that do all stages of recycling starting from receiving the waste up to the precious metal extraction.
Category 2: Facilities that do not do extraction of precious metals. Their process ends after the mechanical processing (e.g., lead batteries handling to lead smelters).
Category 3: Facilities that do manual dismantling, external power cables processing, and batteries handling.
In 2024, there were 27 formal WEEE recycling facilities registered at WMRA (see Table 4 below).
Table 4: Formal WEEE Recycling Facilities in Egypt
No. | Company Name | Type of Activity | Address | Classification |
1 | International Technology Group ITG | Electronic and electrical waste recycling and extraction of precious metals from electronic waste | 2/B, plot 69, 6th Industrial area, 6th October City, Giza | Fully operated – Category 1 |
2 | Green Core Recycling Company | Electronic waste recycling and extracting metals from it | Plot 6, Block 5, Area 8, 15 May City, Helwan, Cairo | Stopped operation |
3 | Electronic and Electrical Waste Recycling Factory (Al-Araishi Foundation) for General Trading and Industry | Crushing and shredding e-waste | Plot 15, First Industrial Zone, 15 May City, Cairo | Fully operated – Category 1 |
4 | Electronic Waste Recycling (Triple RE) | E-waste recycling | Plot 95, Industrial area, (Youth Project), 6th of October | Fully operated – Category 1 |
5 | Egyptian Electronics Recycling Company (EERC) | Recycling and extraction of precious metals from electronic waste | Plot No. 787, Youth Factories, Extension of the 6th Industrial Zone, 6th of October | Fully operated – Category 1 |
6 | Energy Co Company | Precious metals extraction from e-waste | Plot 75 feddan, Abu Rawash Industrial Zone, 6th of October, Giza | Fully operated – Category 1 |
7 | Arabian WEEE Company | Precious metals extraction from e-waste | Plot (555), Industrial Zone, 6th of October, Giza | Fully operated – Category 1 |
8 | Al Firdous Recycling Company | Collection, sorting, dismantling, and classification e-waste and processing of boards and precious metals extraction from e-waste | Plot (88) national unity City, Industrial Zone, Abu Rawash, kilometer 26, Alexandria Desert Road, Giza | Fully operated – Category 1 |
9 | Al Amal for Trading and Supplies | Recycling of solar panels, crushing and grinding of electronic boards, and performing secondary chemical processing to extract precious metals | Plot no. 60 Industrial Zone, Youth Warehouses Area, 6th of October, Giza | Fully operated – Category 1 |
10 | German for Trading Company | Recycling of electronic and electrical waste and extraction of precious metals | Plot (128) Industrial Zone, Alexandria Desert Road Al-Sadat City | Fully operated – Category 1 |
11 | El Dawleyya Company | Recycling of electronic and electrical waste and extracting of precious metals | Plot (57/28), km 28 Alexandria Desert Road, Abu Rawash, Giza | Fully operated – Category 1 |
12 | Al Mashreq Company | Recycling of electronic and electrical waste and extracting of precious metals | Plot (9), Block15, Industrial Area, Madinet Borg Al Arab | Fully operated – Category 1 |
13 | Candy Company | Recycling of electronic and electrical waste and extracting of precious metals | Abu Zabal, Al Khankah, Al Akrasha Industrial, Qalyub City | Fully operated – Category 1 |
14 | Rotate Company | Recycling of electronic and electrical waste and extracting of precious metals | Plot no. (843), Industrial Area, 6th of October, Giza | Fully operated – Category 1 |
15 | Egypt Green for E-Waste | Recycling of electronic and electrical waste and extracting of precious metals | Plot no. (708), Industrial Area, 6th of October, Giza | Fully operated – Category 1 |
16 | Greener E-waste Company | Recycling electronic and electrical waste, extracting precious metals, and casting and smelting copper to produce copper ingots | Plot no. (2), Industrial Area, Abu Rawash, Giza City | Fully operated – Category 1 |
17 | Recycle Key | Sorting and recycling of electronic waste | Plot 10, corporate office in Sadat City | Category 2 |
18 | Green Place Company | E-waste recycling | Plot 47, 6th District Youth place | Category 2 |
19 | Hussein and Ahmed Abu Soliman Trading Company | Sorting, classifying, and recycling of electronic and electrical waste, and smelting the copper resulting from the recycling process to produce copper ingots | Plot 3001 El-Tebbin Technology, Al Haded We Al Soulb, El Tebbin, Cairo | Category 2 |
20 | Extreme Construction and Supply Company | Recycling of electronic and electrical waste and production of copper ingots | Plot 3000 El-Tebbin Technology, Al Haded We Al Soulb, El Tebbin, Cairo | Category 2 |
21 | Remt Company | Recycling of electronic and electrical waste, and smelting the copper resulting from the recycling process to produce various copper castings and ingot | Plot (52/451), Attaka City – Gulf of Suez, Suez City | Category 2 |
22 | Alathad African Egyptian for Import & Export | Recycling electronic and electrical waste without extracting precious metals | Plot no. (54), Industrial Area, km 26 Alexandria Desert Road, Abu Rawash, Giza City | Category 2 |
23 | Nile Steel Company | Recycling electronic and electrical waste without only extracting precious metals | Plot no. (171 A), (171 B), Stage 3, Industrial Area, Natrn Valley, Baheira City | Category 2 |
24 | Alorobah Sky Recycling E-Waste Company | Cable waste recycling | The Mosque Alkabeer street, Ezbet Ahmed Selim, Shoubra El Kheima 2, Qalyub City | Category 3 |
25 | Egyptian International for Trading Metals | Recycling electrical cable waste | Plot no. (119) Industrial Area, A4, 10th of Ramadan City | Category 3 |
26 | Egyptian Metal Works Co. (Hafzy) | Recycling of electrical cable and telephone cable waste | Kafr El-Olow Industrial Zone, Helwan, Cairo | Category 3 |
27 | Al Haram for Metals Trading Import & Export | Aluminum ore smelting and the re-manufacturing of household tools for Al-Haram Company for Manufacturing, Trading, Importing, and Exporting Metals, with the addition of a production line for copper mesh | Ezbet Qutb Aid, Mahalat Al Qasab, Kafr El-sheikh Street, Aremon, Kafr El-Sheikh | Category 3 |
3.4 Formal Lead-Acid Battery Recyclers in Egypt
There are nine – certified – formal lead secondary smelters for lead-acid batteries recycling to extract lead and lead alloys [9].
Table 5: Formal Lead Secondary Smelters for Lead Acid Batteries
Company Name | Type of Activity | Address | |
1 | Chloride Egypt | Lead-Acid Batteries Recycling | 28 Alexandria Desert Road – Industrial Zone at Abou Rawash – Giza Governorate |
2 | Al Mottahida for Batteries | Lead-Acid Batteries Recycling | 10th of Ramadan – Industrial Zone A4 |
3 | Al Mottahida for Recycling and Fabrication of Metals (Mostafa Abdel Wahab) | Lead-Acid Batteries Recycling | Plot 29 – Industrial Zone 1/31, Gaziret Abo Saleh, Nasser District, Bani Suef Governorate |
4 | El Nisr for Chemical Industries | Lead-Acid Batteries Recycling | Plot 7021, Industrial Zone 7, El Sadat City |
5 | Lead Smelting, Refining and Fabrication of Lead, Factory | Lead-Acid Batteries Recycling | Plot 7, Number 8 Hood El Zahhar, Industrial Zone of Arab El Olykat, El Khanka, Qalyoubia Governorate |
6 | Al Mottahida for Trade, Supplies and General Agencies | Lead-Acid Batteries Recycling | Industrial Zone – El Akrasha – Abo Zaabal, Qalyoubia |
7 | El Hoda for Batteries Recycling | Lead-Acid Batteries Recycling | Industrial Zone – El Akrasha – Abo Zaabal, Qalyoubia |
8 | MARSO for Chemicals | Tire Recycling | 10th of Ramadan – Industrial Zone 3/ A1 |
9 | HOBIC for Rubber Industries | Tire Recycling | Plot 12, Industrial Zone 2, El Sadat City |
At the same time, there are currently no licensed lithium battery recyclers in Egypt. In 2024, the common (and EEAA approved) practice in Egypt is to dispose these and other type of batteries (Alkaline, Silver Oxide and Mercury) in the Al-Nasreya hazardous waste landfill following an environmentally sound disposal process:
Preparation: The batteries (especially lithium-ion and lithium metal batteries) are firstly discharged and treated to reduce their reactivity and manage fire hazards.
Transportation: Batteries are transported safely to Al-Nasreya hazardous waste landfill.
Landfilling: The discharged lithium batteries are directly landfilled in the hazardous landfill. Other batteries are disposed of in formal landfills in special cells after solidification in concrete molds using a solidification unit to avoid leaching of manganese dioxide, zinc, alkaline, silver oxide, and mercury as they are toxic and hazardous materials.
Battarity is a new company that emerged from an entrepreneurial competition funded by the SRI program and implemented by the Electronic Research Institute (ERI). The Battarity team emerged victorious in this competition and has since incorporated a formal company focused on lithium-ion battery recycling. Since 2024, they are in the process of setting up their facility in Abo Rawash industrial zone. The primary objective of this facility is to carry out preliminary treatments on lithium-ion batteries through physical processes. These processes aim to extract the black mass, which contains mixed metals such as lithium, cobalt, and manganese. This initial treatment is a crucial step in the recycling process, as it allows for the separation and recovery of valuable materials from used lithium-ion batteries.
3.5 Sector support partners and programs for WEEE management in Egypt
Several initiatives and studies have been undertaken, focusing on improving e-waste management practices through both regulatory frameworks and technological innovations.The SRI program funded by the Swiss Government and implemented nationally in Egypt by the Centre for Environment and Development for the Arab Region and Europe (CEDARE) was implemented between 2016 and 2025 and aimed to bridge the gap between informal and formal e-waste sectors, develop sustainable recycling systems and introduce mechanisms like EPR to foster more responsible e-waste handling (see Table 6 below). Other projects include the Medical and Electronic waste Management project funded by UNDP/GEF or the Greater Cairo Air Pollution Management and Climate Change Project funded by the World Bank (see Table 6 below).
Table 6: WEEE Management Support Programs in Egypt (2024)
Project Description | Implementing Entities | Objective | Period of performance |
Greater Cairo Air Pollution Management and Climate Change Project | World Bank | The main project objective is reducing air and climate emissions from critical sectors and increase resilience to air pollution in Greater Cairo. The project has subcomponent related to hazardous waste management focusing on e-waste and healthcare waste management. Untill 2024, the project did not publish any reports. | 2021-2026 |
Medical and Electronic waste Management project | UNDP/GEF | The scope of work for this project encompassed developing a baseline assessment report on e-waste composition, BAT/BEP for its management, developing guidelines for the segregation, sorting, pre-treatment and storage of e-waste fractions containing heavy metals, POPs and creating an IT toolkit and e-calculator for the calculation of the heavy metal, POPs and UPOPs quantities of different e-waste fractions. The project supported WMRA start formalizing the informal sector. | 2020 |
Sustainable Recycling Industries (SRI) program | SECO/CEDARE/dss+ | The project provided multifaceted regulatory, capacity building, and technical support to Egypt on establishing an e-waste management system. Multiple reports, briefs, and content summaries relevant to Egypt have been produced, as part of the program. |
3.6 Conformity assessment system
Within the SRI program and based on the WMRA guidelines [6], new normative requirements outlined in the “Technical Standard for Environmentally Sound WEEE Management” were developed, together with an “Audit Report for WEEE Operations” and a “Handbook for WEEE Auditors”. These instruments form the basis of a planned WMRA conformity assessment system, which would establish a pool of qualified technical WEEE recycling auditors and create a level playing field for all actors in the WEEE reverse supply chain, thereby driving progress in the e-waste sector.
Sources:
- [5] An EPR Scheme for WEEE in Egypt, Options for implementation, Sofies & CEDARE, 2021.
- [6] Medical and Electronic Waste Management Project, Guidelines for the Segregation, Sorting, Pre-treatment and Storage of E-waste Components Containing Heavy Metals and POPs, September 2019.
- [7] Normative document WEEELABEX Treatment 7 May 2013, with the financial support of the LIFE programme of the European Community.
- [8] Opportunity Study on Available Solutions Including Impact Assessment, SRI, 2022.
- [9] WMRA Official List for Licensed WEEE Recycling Facilities.
