Egypt and Switzerland Launch US$1.7 Million Initiative to Strengthen E-Waste Recycling

According to industry reports, Egypt and Switzerland have signed a CHF 1.4 million (US$1.7 million) grant agreement to launch the Circular Electronics Initiative, a program aimed at strengthening the country’s electronic waste management system and expanding formal recycling capacity for electrical and electronic equipment.

The agreement was signed by Egypt’s Minister of Local Development and Environment, Manal Awad, and Swiss Ambassador to Egypt Andreas Baum, in the presence of Foreign Minister Badr Abdelatty. The initiative is intended to support Egypt’s Vision 2030 by developing an integrated framework for the collection, reuse and recycling of electronic waste.

Egypt generates an estimated 87,000 tonnes of electronic waste annually, the highest volume in Africa, yet less than 15% is processed through formal recycling channels. Much of the remaining material is handled by the informal sector, where practices such as open burning and manual dismantling can release hazardous substances into the environment.

The Circular Electronics Initiative places particular emphasis on improving the management of refrigeration and air-conditioning equipment, which contain refrigerants and other materials that can contribute to ozone depletion and greenhouse gas emissions if not properly recovered.

The program builds on the Sustainable Recycling Industries initiative implemented between 2016 and 2025 and focuses on four priority areas: strengthening legislation and governance, establishing compliance and monitoring systems, developing formal collection and recycling infrastructure, and improving data management while advancing the implementation of Extended Producer Responsibility (EPR).

The project will be financed by Switzerland’s State Secretariat for Economic Affairs (SECO). Egypt’s Waste Management Regulatory Authority will oversee implementation in coordination with the Ministry of Planning, Economic Development and International Cooperation, while the World Resources Forum Association will support project delivery.

Running through June 2029, the initiative aims to increase e-waste collection, recycling and reuse rates while encouraging investment in green industries, improving resource efficiency and reducing the environmental impacts associated with discarded electronic products.

Another objective is to help integrate and professionalize Egypt’s informal recycling sector by promoting safer collection and processing practices and expanding access to formal recycling systems.

The project forms part of SECO’s broader CHF 5 million (US$6.05 million) Circular Electronics Industry program, which also supports electronic waste management initiatives in Ghana and South Africa.

Source: Sustainable Packaging Middle East & Africa

SUNSHINE Spotlight: Egypt is expanding its formal e-waste recycling infrastructure through a new Swiss-backed initiative, targeting higher recovery rates, stronger regulatory oversight and safer processing of the country’s growing electronic waste stream.