Mapping of-informal-sector

2017
involved in E-Waste
Collection
Mapping of
Informal Sector

2017
CREDITS
CEDARE Coordination: Hossam Allam (Regional Programme Manager), Ghada Moghny (Programme Coordinator), Lamia Nabil (Communication &
PR Officer), Terry Fahmy (Regional Programme Specialist), Rym Hazem (Programme Associate)
WRF Coordination: Mathias Schluep (Programme Director)
Sofies Coordination: David Rochat (CEO, Sofies International), Deepali Sinha Khetriwal (Managing Director, Sofies India), Anahide Bondolfi (Senior
Consultant)
AUTHORS
Dr. Fathya Soliman, Senior Expert
Mounir Boushra, Expert
GRAPHIC DESIGN
InfoTimes
Copyright© SECO, 2017
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DISCLAIMER
The designations employed and the presentation of the material in this publication do not imply the expression of any opinion whatsoever on the part
of SECO, CEDARE, the Ministry of Communication and Information Technology (MCIT), World Resources Forum Association (WRFA), or Sofies.
Moreover, the views expressed do not necessarily represent the decision or the stated policy of SECO, CEDARE, the Ministry of Communication and
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photo credits. Some photos used are licensed for non-commercial reuse with modification.
ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS
The Sustainable Recycling Industries (SRI) programme has built on the success of implementing e-waste recycling systems with various developing
countries for more than ten years. This programme is funded by the Swiss State Secretariat of Economic Affairs (SECO) and is implemented by the
Institute for Materials Science & Technology (Empa), the World Resources Forum Association (WRFA) and ecoinvent.
This study was conducted as part of the Sustainable Recycling Industries Programme (SRI). In Egypt, the project is locally coordinated and implemented
by the Ministry of Communication and Information Technology (MCIT) and CEDARE, with the international coordination and backstopping of Sofies.
Sustainable Recycling Industries (SRI) c/o World Resources Forum
Association - Lerchenfeldstrasse 5, 9014 St. Gallen, Switzerland,
info@sustainable-recycling.org, www.sustainablerecycling.org
Sofies - P.O. 2091, rue du Vuache 1, 1211 Geneva 1, Switzerland.
Tel: +41 22 338 15 24, geneva@sofiesgroup.com
CEDARE - Centre for Environment and Development for the
Arab Region & Europe - Sustainable Growth Division - 2 Hegaz
St., Roxy, Heliopolis, CEDARE Building P.O. Box: 1057 Heliopolis
Bahary, Cairo, Egypt. Tel: +202 24513921/2/3 - Fax: +202 24513918,
sgp@cedare.int , www.cedare.int
CONTACTS

4 MAPPING OF INFORMAL SECTOR INVOLVED IN E-WASTE COLLECTION
Executive
Summary

5MAPPING OF INFORMAL SECTOR INVOLVED IN E-WASTE COLLECTION
The current task is carried out within the framework of the Sustainable Recycling Industries (SRI)
project being implemented by the Swiss Federal Laboratories for Materials Sciences (EMPA)
as mandated by the State Secretariat of Economic Affairs (SECO) of Switzerland. The main
objective of this task is to map the informal sector involved in WEEE collection and dismantling,
to identify and design a platform that could integrate the material flow (sales) from informal sector
and households to formal sector, and to allow financial transfers. The geographic scope of the
mapping is the Greater Cairo Area (GCA). The report is structured in the following manner:
Full description of the Informal Sectors characteristics involved in WEEE collection, dismantling
and fractions details are provided including the following:

Geographic scope of WEEE
Number of collectors for each mapped area
Type and quantities of electronic waste produced from the areas of concern
Collection methodology
Dismantling processes
Fractions type, quantities, recycling opportunities and the destination of each fraction
List of dealers or users of each fraction
Amount of locally used fraction against the exported quantity
Conclusion and recommendations
The scope of work was implemented through a survey of the informal sector to identify their needs
and the challenges that they face; the survey supported a study that focused on the informal
sector that collect, dismantle and deal with the fractions of the WEEE in the GCA. The objective
of this study is to:
Support the WEEE informal sector to develop its work and plan for formal small enterprises
that may be establish in the future
Recommend interventions that may boost the sector activities towards being environmentally
friendly and protect the workers in the sector
Identify the steps, needs and the methodology required to transform this sector to formal
one
The study used a combined methodology including site visits and in depth interviews with
key collectors and dealers of the sector. Mounir Boushra, an expert who has experience
and is known to the sector was in charge of the survey.
The study showed that the informal sector plays a main role in garbage collection in general and
in the WEEE management in particular as it controls more than 95% of this business; the survey
reported the distribution of the main transfer stations for collection and sorting of solid waste
(including the WEEE within the greater Cairo Area).
The study also revealed that the productivity of each area from the WEEE of different types as per
the survey carried out by Engineer Mounir Boushra.
The main actors in this sector are:
The Traditional Waste Collectors (Zabbaleen – Arabic name for garbage collectors)
Robabekeia collectors or Roamers (Sarriiha)
Middlemen and Intermediary Buyers/Dealers
Main dealers that collect the WEEE for further trading
The study summarizes the current conditions of dismantling process in the informal sector and
related challenges due to lack of legalisation and awareness, which are reflected on the informal
sector on all spheres; in particular, the dismantling workers are acting at no protection measures
at the workplace or to the environment.

The study also provided full details about the produced fractions from each collection area (transfer
station) and the destination of each fraction; this included:
The type of fraction
The monthly quantity collected according to survey sample
The main dealers
The final destination of used fraction (Locally / Exported)
The study discussed the proposed steps and the methodology required to assist the informal
sector to be a formal entity based on the opinion of main dealers of WEEE at the survey area
(Greater Cairo).
The proposed steps to transform the informal to formal sector are described in this study at all
levels such as:
The technical level
The administrative level
The financial level
The social level
The institutional level
The environmental level
The study also discussed the needs of the informal sector after identifying the current situation at
all levels and the discussion of the weakness points.

Table of Contents

List of Tables 10
List of Figures 10
List of Abbreviations 12
1. Introduction 14
2. Scope and Objective 18
3. Methodology 20
4. Characteristics of the Informal Sector 22
5. Geographic Distribution of the Informal Collection Centers and the Number of
Collectors in each Region
24
5.1 Characteristics of Each Collection Center and Waste Market 26
6. Type and Quantities of E- Waste from Each Area 28
7. Collection Methodology 32
8. Dismantling Processes 36
9. Fractions type, quantities, recycling opportunities and the destination of each fraction 46
10. Amount of locally used fractions against the exported quantity 52
11. Proposed steps and the methodology required to assist the informal sector to be formal 54
12. Proposed Steps to Transform the Informal to Formal Sector 56
12.1 At the technical level 58
12.2 At the administrative level 58
12.3 On the financial level 58
12.4 At the legal level 58
12.5 At the social level 58
12.6 At the institutional level 58
12.7 On the environmental level 59
13. Informal Sector Needs Assessment 60
13.1 At the technical level 61

List of Tables &
List of Figures

List of Tables
Table 1: Collection Centers Details 25
Table 2: Collected Sample Percentages from Each Region 29
Table 3: Waste production of each Region in the Greater Cairo Area 29
Table 4: Waste Classification from Electrical and Electronic Equipment 31
Table 5: Collection Methods 33
Table 6: Fractions Type, Recycling Opportunities and Destination of Each Fraction 48
Table 7: Total Fractions and Types produced from the GCA 51
Table 8: Amount of Locally used Fractions / Exported Quantities 53
List of Figures
Figure 1: Distribution of Collection Centers all over the Greater Cairo Area 25
Figure 2: Waste Collectors that Contributed in the Survey 29
Figure 3: Total Waste Production in Percentage from Each Center in the GCA 30
Figure 4: Percentages of WEEE from Each Region 30
Figure 5: Percentage of Plastic Produced from WEEE 31
Figure 6: Distribution of the Collection System 34
Figure 7: Waste Collection Distribution by Zabaaleen 34
Figure 8: Waste Collection Distribution by Robabekeia Collectors 34
Figure 9: Survey about the Hazard of the Waste 55
Figure 10: Survey Results about Being Formal 55

List of
Abbreviations

BMs Base Metals
CRT Cathode Ray Tube
EW Electronic Waste
ICT Information Communication Technology
IT Information Technology
LCD Liquid Crystal Display
MCs Metals of Concern
MCIT Ministry of Communication & Information Technology
NGO Non-Governmental Organization
PCB Printed Circuits Board
PGMs Platinum Group Metals
PMs Precious Metals
PPE Personal Protection Equipment
SEs Scarce Elements
)SECO( State Secretariat of Economic Affairs of Switzerland
SMEs Small and Medium Enterprises
SRI Sustainable Recycling Industries project
SFLMS (EMPA) Swiss Federal Laboratories for Materials Sciences
WEEE Waste of Electrical and Electronic Equipment

Introduction
1

The E-waste collection in Egypt is dominated by the Informal Sector; Civil Society Organizations
(NGOs) play also a role in this domain by supporting the sector. The main actors in this sector are:
The Traditional Waste Collectors (Zabbaleen – Arabic name for garbage collectors). They
provide residents with a door to door, daily collection service to gather all sort of waste including
used households. They live in certain areas in the Greater Cairo Area in what became known
as garbage complexes.
Robabekeia collectors or Roamers (Sarriiha): Their name derives from the nature of their
activity; they are those who roam the streets buying, trading, and exchanging recyclable waste
items including WEEE. They have also accumulated knowledge of fixing and repairing old
appliances and simple machines and as well they know the professional refurbishers and
where they could potentially sell these items.
The collected waste is traded through dealers:
Middlemen and Intermediary Buyers/Dealers: These live inside and outside garbage
collector’s neighborhoods. They are known as dealers who own small-scale depots. They sell
to wholesalers and large buyers.
Wholesale Merchants of Recoverable from Roamers: These buy in bulk from small merchants
who roam the streets and from the middlemen. They are large-scale dealers, who own large
warehouses specializing in a single type of recyclable.

Other actors are the NGOs that provide a lot of support to the informal sector. They educate
and empower youth through learning opportunities related to sustaining entrepreneurial recycling
businesses and also advocates the garbage collector’s community.
However, the sector works under neither legislations nor awareness for E-wastes possible impacts
on the waste handlers and the environment. Moreover, the prominence of the informal sector in
the waste collection and management in general and accordingly in the E-waste in particular is
merging from the fact that:
It is a well-established sector for years ago (mainly in municipal and E-waste).
It is an intensive labor business, as most of the handling relies is manual. According to Engineer
Mounir Boushra (Contracted Expert to perform the survey of this task)(1)
, one ton of waste can
employ about seven workers – based on assumptions made for door-to-door waste collections.
This figure is dynamic and may change from one region to another.
It is a waste valorization business as the sector contributes in collection, dismantling and
exporting the waste through dealers.
It is well known that the income generated from waste recovery and recycling maximizes the
value of this sector despite the fact it is not projected on the state economy.
It is a substantial supplier to the formal sector that starts it operation from beyond the collection.
The current report is complementing a formal “ASSESSMENT OF RECYCLING INDUSTRY
OPPORTUNITIES – FORMAL SECTOR”, which was prepared within the framework of the
(1) Consultant/SRI project, July to 30 September 2016

Sustainable Recycling Industries (SRI) project being implemented by the Swiss Federal
Laboratories for Materials Sciences (EMPA) as mandated by the State Secretariat of Economic
Affairs (SECO) of Switzerland. The overall aim of this task is to map the informal sector involved in
e-waste collection and dismantling. Identify and design a platform that could integrate the material
flow (sales) from informal sector and households to formal sector, and allow financial transfers.
The geographic scope of the mapping is the Greater Cairo Area and if possible hot spots of other
governorates. The report is structured in the following manner:
Full description of the Informal Sectors characteristics involved in e-waste collection, dismantling
and fractions details are provided including the following:
Number of collectors for each mapped area
Type and quantities of electronic waste produced from the areas of concern
Collection methodology
Dismantling processes
Fractions type, quantities, recycling opportunities and the destination of each fraction
List of dealers or users of each fraction
Amount of locally used fraction against the exported quantity
Conclusion and recommendations

Scope and
Objective
2

As part of work package of the SRI Project, the current study will focus on the informal sector that
collect, dismantle and deal with the fractions of the WEEE in Egypt. The main objective of this
study is to:
support the WEEE informal sector to develop its work and plan for formal small enterprises
that may be establish in the future
recommend interventions that may boost the sector activities towards being environmentally
friendly and protect the workers in the sector
identify the steps, needs and the methodology required to transform this sector to formal
one

Methodology
3

The study used a combined methodology including site visits and in depth interviews with key
collectors and dealers of the sector. An expert who has experience and is known to the sector is
in charge of the survey.

Characteristics of
the Informal Sector
4

The informal sector plays a main role in Garbage collection in general and in the WEEE
management in particular; the carried out survey is based on information obtained from the
field visits and discussion with waste collectors; the numbers included in the survey may not be
accurate since the collectors may not reveal the true numbers. It is estimated that the informal
sector controls about 95% of the garbage collection from houses(2)
; this garbage includes limited
percentage of WEEE. Their activity is concentrated in the Greater Cairo Urban Area, which
includes Cairo, Giza and Qalubeya Governorates. More details about the distribution of their
structure are described in the following sections of this report.
(2) Eng. Mounir Boushra, SW Expert

5
(3)
(3) System of Waste Sorting & Recycling, Ministry of Civilization and Development of Slums, October, 2014
Geographic Distribution of the
Informal Collection Centers and the
Number of Collectors in each Region

The following map is produced by the Ministry of Civilization and Development of Slums in October
2014. It shows the distribution of the main transfer stations for collection and sorting of solid waste
(including the WEEE within the greater Cairo Area). Although supervised by the local authorities,
the main supply is through the informal sector.
Figure 1: Distribution of Collection Centers all over the Greater Cairo Area
Table 1: Collection Centers Details
Collection Centers (Transfer Stations)
Number
Name of the
Collection Center
Location
(Governorate)
Number of
Collectors*
Remarks
Region 1 Manshiet Nasser
Center of Cairo,
Cairo Governorate
250
Central receiving area of
waste
Region 2 Torah
South West of Cairo,
Cairo Governorate
66
Main receiving area of
the South West of Cairo
Region 3 15th
of May
South west of Cairo
Governorate
39
Main receiving area of
the South of Cairo
Region 4
Ezbet El Nakhl
and Khososus
Qalubeya
Governorate
137 Main receiving area
Region 5 El Baraguel Giza Governorate 82 Main receiving area
Region 6 El Moatamadia Giza Governorate 109 Main receiving area
Waste Dealing Markets
1 Souk El Gomaa Cairo Governorate Trading of most E waste
2 Open Market Giza Governorate
* Numbers in this Table is reported by Eng. Mounir Boushra as counted during the survey. Part
of the counted people gave information and others did not (average percentage of collectors that
contributed to the survey is 30%).

Characteristics of Each Collection Center and Waste Market
As shown from the previous Figure and Table, the Greater Cairo Area incorporates six main
collection centers (transfer stations) and two main waste markets. Further details about these
centers are described in the following.
Manshiet Nasser Collection Center
This is largest area located in Mokattam near enough to the Cairo Center; where 65,000 inhabitants
are mainly working in waste collection. They door to door daily collect all sort of waste including
WEEE from several districts of Cairo. The Center receives about 8,000 ton of waste daily, where it
is stored on site for further sorting and classification. About 80% of the received waste is recycled.
The collected fractions are mainly Plastic frames that are crushed and prepared for sale to recycling
companies the main fractions such as printed circuit boards PCBs are dismantled and sold to dealers.
Torah Collection Center
Torah settlement is located at the South West of Cairo; it is the smallest cluster among all of the
Greater Cairo Area of about 5,000 inhabitants, most of them are working in the waste collection.
Part of those inhabitants moved to Kattamia area as part of a program to relocate the Zabbaleen
settlements outside the city skirts. This program is managed by one of the largest NGO in the field
of waste management (the Association for Protection of the Environment – APE). They collect the
waste and dismantle the equipment and sell the fractions to Middlemen and Intermediary Buyers/
Dealers.
15th
of May Region
The waste is recycled at the collector’s premises and the rest is directed to a solid waste
management integrated facility of 2,000 tons management capacity per day. Waste further
sorting process is carried out at this facility of approximately 1,500 tons/day, comprising assorted
residential and commercial waste materials, which are directed to the composting facility for
processing and recycling. Only rejects or overflows (35%) of the composting facility are directed
to the neighboring landfill adjacent to facility. The WEEE is sorted and sold to main dealers.
Ezbet El Nakhl and El Khosous Region
They are the largest receiving area in the Qalubeya Governorate; beside waste collection, there are
also many recyclers, equipment refurbishing facility (small shops), dealers, in addition to the other
supporting businesses such as maintenance workshops and other commercial establishments.
El Baraguel
It is small area of very limited population 500 inhabitants that they work in the waste dealing
business. It is directly connected to El Moatamadia as location and business.
El Moatamadia
It is located behind Ard El Lewa, Giza. Its population is estimated to be about 30,000 inhabitants
that work in many businesses including the waste recycling. It is the third settlement in population,
workforce and amount of waste to be handled after Manshiet Nasser in Moquattam and Ezbet El
Nakhl.
Waste Transportation after Collection
The waste is transported to the transfer station after collection by either a donkey dragged cart
or a small van; this depends on the collection area and how far it is from the transfer station. The
following Figures show the transportation means used.
5-1

Means of Garbage Transport
Type of Labor Involved
Each collector engages 3 to 4 worker with him(4)
; among theses 20 to 25% are children under the
age (18 years as specified by Law 12 of child labor) and women are engaged mainly in the sorting
and dismantling. The sorting is carried out in open air in the transfer station while the dismantling
is carried closed room of average area 30 to 50 square meters, where at least 10 workers are
employed in the dismantling process.
(4) Engineer Mounir Boshra (information collected during the survey)

Type and Quantities of
E- Waste from Each Area
6

66
251
82 39
109 137
26
51
30
19
34 47
39% 20% 37% 49% 31% 34%
0%
10%
20%
30%
40%
50%
60%
70%
80%
90%
100%
Tura Manshyt
Naser
El Baragel Helwan El
Moaatmadya
Qalubeya
Waste Collectors
Total Dealers Visited Dealers Sample Percentage
The following Table shows the productivity of each area from the E-waste of different types as per
the survey carried out by Engineer Mounir Boushra. The survey covered part of the market as
indicated in the following:
Table 2: Collected Sample Percentages from Each Region
Region Total Collectors Visited Collectors Sample Percentage
Tura 66 26 39%
Manshyt Naser 251 51 20%
El Baragel 82 30 37%
Helwan 39 19 49%
El Moaatmadya 109 34 31%
Qalubeya 137 47 34%
684 207 30%
Figure 2: Waste Collectors that Contributed in the Survey
As shown from the Figure data was collected from different percentages of waste dealers and
collectors in the different regions at an average of sample size 30%. The rest refused to contribute
in the survey for different reasons such tax evasion, not to disclose information that might reach
competitors and not to prevail their earning.
Table 3: Waste Production of Each Region in the Greater Cairo Area
Region Total Waste (ton/y) Plastic (equipment) WEEE
Qalubeya 110 79 31
Manshyt Naser 92 81 11
El Moaatmadya 66 6 60
Tura 49 27 22
El Baragel 42 5 37
Helwan & 15 May 40 3 37
Total Amoint
of Waste Produced
399 201 198
The numbers presented in the above Table reflects about 30% of the collected waste in the
Greater Cairo area by the informal sector; this waste is mainly the house hold equipment within the
collected garbage; it seems to be limited as compared to the WEEE produced in Egypt (372,000
ton/year)(5)
, as it does not include the e-waste produced by banks, governmental entities, schools,
(5) http://interactive.aljazeera.com/aje/2015/ewaste/index.htm

universities, hospitals, mobile companies, etc. These are huge amounts controlled by auctions,
which are considered formal.
Informal Sector WEEE Production By Type
The following Figure elaborates more the capacity of each region and the type of waste produced.
The Figure shows that, in total, the Qalubeya Governorate is the largest total waste producer,
while Manshyt Nasser produces the largest amount of plastic as a bulk resulting from the EEE
and other sources. El Moatamedia is the largest equipment collectors since it covers high class
areas like Zamalek, Dokki and Mohandeseen.
Figure 3: Total Waste Production in Percentage from Each Center in the GCA
As shown from the Figure, Qalyubia region produces 28% of the Greater Cairo total waste followed
by Manshyt Nasser 23% and El Moatamedia is the third in the row that produces 16%. The three
other regions are more or less producing the same percentages of 10 to 12%.
Figure 4: Percentages of WEEE from Each Region
Regarding the Total WEEE: As shown from the Figure, despite being the third in the total waste
production, El Moatamedia produces the highest percentage of EEE, which is 30% of the total;
it is followed by El Baraguel and then Helwan. The WEEE or E-waste in particular is divided into
ten categories based on the European WEEE Directives 2002/96/EC(6)
and 2012/19/EU(7)
and is
given in the following Table:
(6) European Parliament. Directive 200296//EC of the European Parliament and of the Council of 27 January 2003 on waste electrical
and electronic equipment (WEEE). Off. J. Eur. Union 2003, L37, 24–38.
(7) European Parliament. Directive 201219//EU of the European Parliament and of the Council of 4 July 2012 on waste electrical and
electronic equipment (WEEE). Off. J. Eur. Union 2012, L197, 38–71.
28%
23%
16%
12%
11%
10%
Waste Percentage for Each Collection Center
Qalubeya Manshyt Naser El Moatamedia Tura El Baragel Helwan & 15 May
16%
6%
30%
11%
19%
18%
Produced WEEE

39%
40%
3%
14%
2% 2%
Plastic Produced fromWEEE
Table 4: Waste Classification from Electrical and Electronic Equipment
No. Category Label
1 Large household appliances Large HH
2 Small household appliances Small HH
3 IT and telecommunications equipment ICT
4 Consumer equipment CE
5 Lighting equipment Lighting
6
Electrical and electronic tools (with the exceptions of large-scale
stationary industrial tools)
E & E tools
7 Toys, leisure and sport equipment Toys
8
Medical devices (with the exception of all implanted and infected
products)
Medical equipment
9 Monitoring and control instruments M & C
10 Automatic dispensers Dispensers
This equipment includes assorted fractions such as:
■ Printed Circuits Boards (PCBs) ■ Metal Frames
■ Batteries ■ Copper Wires
■ CRT Monitors ■ LCD Monitors
■ Motors ■ Base & Key boards
Figure 5: Percentage of Plastic Produced from WEEE
Since the plastic constitutes about 20% of E-waste equipment structure(8)
in general, and 23% of
the PCBs in particular(9)
. It is produced in bulk mainly in Manshyt Nasser and in Qalyoubia. The
plastic is the easiest fraction to process and to re-use.
(8) Association of Plastics Manufacturers in Europe (APME). Plastics—A Material of Choice for the Electrical and Electronic
Industry-Plastics Consumption and Recovery in Western Europe 1995; APME: Brussels, Belgium, 2004.
(9) The Composition of Valuable Substances in E-Waste. Available online: http://ewasteguide.info (accessed on 19 November 2013).

Collection
Methodology
7

The waste is collected through door-to-door gathering by informal collectors (Zabaleen) and by
Robabikia collectors. The following Table shows more details of the collection process:
Table 5: Collection Methods
Collection System Analysis
Collection Method
Region Waste Collectors
(Zabaleen)
Robabekeia
Tura 73% 27%
Manshyt Naser 92% 8%
El Baragel 23% 77%
15th of May - Helwan 21% 79%
El Moatamadya 21% 79%
Ezbet El Nakhl & Khosous 68% 32%
The Table shows that Zabaaleen collection results in large amount of plastic like in Manshyt Naser
and Tura, while collection by Robabekeia results in more equipment as in Giza Governorate and
Helwan. The following graph details the collection system:

Figure 6: Distribution of the Collection System
The collected equipment includes a high percentage of WEEE. The following charts illustrate the
percentages of waste collected by both Zabaaleen and Robabikia collectors.
Figure 7: Waste Collection Distribution by Zabaaleen
Figure 8: Waste Collection Distribution by Robabekeia Collectors
It is shown from the two figures above, that most of the waste that contains equipment is collected
by robabekeia collectors from Tura, Helwan and El Baragel.

The Current Dismantling/
Recycling Practices
8

The informal sector is working in difficult conditions and many challenges due to(10)
:
Lack of appropriate legislation
Lack of accreditation system for e-waste for private sector participation
The absence of effective take-back schemes
Lack of awareness about the threats and opportunities of the E-waste recycling
The lack of willing of consumers to give out their E-waste for free or affordable prices
Lack of qualified skills and professionals
Lack of appropriate infrastructure and technology for recycling
The high cost of the machinery used in recycling
The lack of incentive mechanism for tack back models
No specific entity that is responsible for managing E-waste recycling in Egypt
These challenges are reflected on the informal sector on all spheres; in particular, the dismantling
where no protection measure to the workers or to the environment exist. The following describes
typical dismantling steps carried out at the informal sector:
(10) Developing EPR Guidelines for Sustainable E-waste Management, Hoda Shakra Presentation, Unit manager, Green ICT
program- IR division, March 2016

TV Dismantling
Step 1: Waste Classification
Classified Equipment (Computers) Ready for dismantling
Step 2: CRT Dismantling
CRT Dismantling

Dismantling the CRT Components including PCB

Step 3: Computer Case Dismantling
Computer Case Components Dismantling

Step 4: Bulk Components Dismantling
Computer PCB Bulk Component Dismantling (Aluminum Contactors, Capacitors, etc.)
As shown from the previous Figures that the dismantling process is carried out at no proper
personal protection equipment (PPE). The dismantled fractions are grouped and packed for sale
to specific dealers.
Copper Cables Burning
The copper is separated from the cables by burning, this produces intensive emissions including
CO, CO2 and possible Dioxin and Furan that result from the plastic burning. The following Figures
show this process. Most of the workers performing this activity are youth, underage children may
be sometimes involved, and the burning process takes place in the transfer station.

Copper Wire Burning inside Informal Smelters

As shown from the Figure, child labor is used in the process.
Wire Stripping Machines in Informal Smelters

PCBs Processing
The dealers send the PCBs to families in rural areas(11)
(could not be visited during the survey)
of Giza governorate to extract the gold using a chemical process. They work unofficially under
no protection to them or to the environmental, as they function inside their houses, which are
normally of limited area; furthermore, the extraction process is inefficient, but the dealers are
still using these families. Nobody knows about neither the deal between these families and the
dealers nor the details of the process, which might expose these families to high risk especially
women and children.
Dumped Hazardous Waste
Left overs resulting from the WEEE dismantling process such as BRF are dumped in the
municipal dumping sites, while they should be dumped in the hazardous waste dumping facility
in Nassereya at Alexandria Governorate, which is the only hazardous waste receiving facility.
The ton of dumped waste cost about EGP 500 plus the cost of transport to Nassereya. This is a
costly process that is why the dismantlers illegally dump these materials in the normal municipal
dumping sites. This is of course an action that violates the Law Regulations. The amount of the
resulted hazardous waste is indicated in the next Table, which shows that the dumped waste is
about 50.8 ton/year among which is the BRF; this represents about 8% of the total WEEE.
Plastic Treatment
The separated plastic is treated on most of the sites using locally manufactured equipment:
Plastic parts (hard plastic) are separated from the metallic parts either by splitting or by
breaking
No BRF exists in the recycled plastic as most of it is previously separated and dumped in
the municipal waste dumping sites as mentioned before
The part is checked for the possibility of reuse, if not, the hard plastic is crushed in a special
crusher (shown in the next Figure)
Plastics are separated by color and hardness. This process is called unification of color and
raw material; collectors, dealers and owners of large workshops have experience in the
identification of raw materials and the quality of their uses
Broken Plastic is washed in tanks using hot water and caustic soda or potash is added to
remove what might hang out of the dirt and fats / oils are then rinsed in cold water tanks;
the product is then dried in open air or is sometimes dried by a centrifuge machine simply
to expel water and it is dried using hot air
Dried plastic is ready for reuse in injection mold machines to produce several products
(11) Information from dealers during the survey

The following Figure shows the locally manufactured used crusher:
Plastic Crushing Machine
CRT Processing
The CRT is dismantled and checked for reuse; in case it is reusable, it is sold for refurbishers.
In case it is non-useful, it is sold for glass producers where it is crushed, lead is removed and
the glass is melted in high temperature furnaces.

Fractions Type, Quantities,
Recycling Opportunities and the
Destination of Each Fraction
9

The following Table shows the details of produced fractions from each collection area (transfer
station) and the destination of each fraction; noting that the survey sample is only 30% of the
existing market volume.

Table 6: Fractions Type, Recycling Opportunities and Destination of Each Fraction
Fraction Type
Quantity
ton/year
Recycling Opportunities Dealers/ User
Fractions produced from Manshyt Nasser
Equipment 11.48
Plastic fraction 2.28 Crushed ready for sale
Plastic Companies, which produce
plastic chairs, house tools, cars
plastic components, hard plastic
components used as feed industry,
etc.
PCBs of different
types
2.6 Sold as it is
Sold to main dealer (Waheed Atito
located at Mansheyet Nasser) for
export
Ferrous metal 2.4 Sold as it is
Scrap dealers/ foundries that
produce valves, feeding industry
components, car industry
components, cast iron pipes, etc.
Copper wires 0.6 Manually stripped
To foundries that produce bronze
valves, house accessories, bearing
bushes, car feeding industry, etc.
CRT glass 1.8 Sold as it is
Batteries of
different types
≈ 1.2
• Lead acid batteries
sold as they are
• Mobile batteries &
Lap top batteries sold
as they are
Lead smelters that produce car
batteries, lead pipes, rolled lead
sheets, lead oxide, etc.
Dealers for export
Others (Dumped
waste including
hazardous BRF)
0.6
Fractions produced from Qalubeya
Equipment 31.29
Plastic fraction 6.24 Crushed ready for sale Plastic recyclers (see above)
PCBs of different
types
≈ 7.2 Sold as it is
Sold to main dealer (Adel Abdel
Malak at Ezbet El Nakhl) for export
Ferrous metal ≈ 6.6 Sold as it is
Scrap dealers/ foundries (see
above)
Copper wires 1.65 Stripped To foundries (see above)
To either refurbishers or to glass
manufacturers
Batteries of
different types
≈ 3.24
sold as they are
Laptop batteries sold
as they are
Lead smelters (see above)
Dealers for export
Others (Dumped
waste including
hazardous BRF)
≈1.44

Fraction Type
Quantity
ton/year
Fractions produced from El Moatamedia
Equipment 60.12
Plastic fraction 12 Crushed ready for sale Plastic recyclers (see above)
PCBs of different
types
13.8 Sold as it is Sold to main dealer for export
above)
Batteries of
different types
6.24
sold as they are
as they are
Dealers for export
Others (Dumped
waste including
hazardous BRF)
2.88 Plastic recyclers
Fractions produced from Tura
Equipment 22.32
PCBs of different
types
5.04 Sold as it is
Sold to main dealer (at Mansheyt
Naser) for export
above)
Batteries of
different types
≈ - 2.4
sold as they are
as they are
Lead smelters (see above) Dealers
for export
Others (Dumped
waste including
hazardous BRF)
≈ 2.28
Fractions produced from El Baragel
Equipment 37.44
PCBs of different
types
above)

Fraction Type
Quantity
ton/year
Batteries of
different types
4.02
sold as they are
as they are
Dealers for export
Others (Dumped
waste including
hazardous BRF)
3.96
Fractions produced from Helwan/15th
of May
Equipment 36.72
PCBs of different
types
above)
Batteries of
different types
3.84
sold as they are
as they are
Dealers for export
Others (Dumped
waste including
hazardous BRF)
4.08

The previous Table shows that the plastic fractions are the ones that are recycled in place, while
the other fractions are sold to main dealers or recycling companies for further processing.
The following Table gathers the type of fractions and the amount produced from the GCAaccording
to a sample size of 30%.
Table 7: Total Fractions and Types produced from the GCA
Type of
Fraction
Quantity
ton/year
(Sample
Size
30%)
Corrected
Quantity
ton/year
Main Dealer Remarks
Plastic
fraction
39.66 132.2
Plastic recycling
companies
This amount is produced
from the WEEE only; a
larger amount is resulting
from the municipal waste
PCBs of
different types
45.456 151.52
• Waheed Atito -
Manshyt Nasser
• Adel Malak - Ezbet
El Nakhl Qalubeya
• Ammar Qalubeya is
a main exporter of
the PCBs
These dealers may sell
the PCBs to the formal
sector such as EERC,
RECYCLOBIKIA & ITG
Ferrous metal 36.0 120.0
• Scrap dealers
• Foundries
Scrap dealers compile
large quantities to supply
the foundries
Copper wires 10.5 35.0
• Scrap dealers
(they compile large
quantities to supply
the foundries)
• Copper foundries
CRT glass 28.2 94.0 • Glass recyclers
Batteries of
different types
21.0 70.00
go to the lead
smelters
• The lithium
batteries go to main
exporters
Others
(Dumped
waste
including
hazardous
BRF)
15.24 50.8
Currently dumped in the
dumping sites
This quantity includes
hazardous materials such
as fire retardant; it should
be dumped in a hazardous
waste dumping facility

Amount of Locally
used Fractions against
the Exported Quantity
10

The amount of locally used fractions against the exported is calculated from the previous data
(Item 9). The exported fractions are mainly the PCBs and the Lithium batteries. These ratios are
shown in the next Table:
Table 8: Amount of Locally used Fractions / Exported Quantities
Type of
fraction
Amount in
KG/month
Ratio = Exported:Locally Used
Percentage of the
Total Produced
Fractions
PCBs 12627 of the PCB s are exported 100% 25%
Lithium
batteries
2500 of the Lithium batteries are exported 100% 5%
In reference to the previous Table, the exhibited figures are approximate since the surveyed sample
is 30% of the market size, which may not reflect the actual volume of the whole market. All PCBs and
Lithium batteries are exported through main exporters for further processing. The PCBs are refined
abroad for precious and base metals extraction, while the Lithium batteries are further processed
there. These fractions are exported due to the fact that the refining process is not developed in
Egypt; in addition, the proper refining needs special equipment of high investment cost.

Proposed Steps and the
Methodology required to assist
the Informal Sector to be Formal
11

The survey included opinion poll about being transferred to formal entity; many of them preferred
to stay working as informal. This is due to:
Tax evasion
Most of them see that no benefits or law protection from being formal
Most of them do not want to expose their business to others
Survey Results
The following charts show the results of poll.
Figure 9: Survey about the Hazard of the Waste
Figure 10: Survey Results about Being Formal
As shown from the previous Figures, the workers in the informal sector are not aware about the hazards
of dealing with the waste; further, most of them do not want to be belonging to a formal sector.

Proposed Steps to transform the
Informal to Formal Sector
12

12-1
Following are suggestions for solutions and alternatives that can be applicable for the sector
transformation; this should be in coordination and extensive discussion with the competent
authorities, small WEEE collectors, workshop owners, dismantlers, for example:
The owners of these workshops and companies
Egyptian and international NGOs of concern
Current and potential donors
Government bodies responsible for the environment and communications such as the
Ministries of Environment and Communications
Electronics and telecommunications companies
Trade unions operating in the recycling and electronic industries and export areas
At the technical level
The sector requires the following:
■ Establishing of bourse for waste, as well as for used electronic devices.
■ Establishing of regional centers for processing and recycling of this waste and to provide
sites for / alternative to display their wares in the form of organized markets.

12-7
At the administrative level
It’s necessary to create an independent administrative authority to oversee the trading, processing
and recycling and export of electronic waste at the level of the Arab Republic of Egypt in general
and the Greater Cairo area, in particular, or to be part of the central administration for solid waste
management; independently or in cooperation with the competent administrative official, one
NGO should be established (one of the currently established NGO could be assigned) having the
following specifications:
■ Influential among the waste collectors, workshops and the traders of the informal sector
■ With strong links with the concerned governmental authorities such as the Ministry of
Environment and Ministry of Communications
■ Managerial competencies (of organizational and legal aspects) and expertise
commensurate with Work required of them
■ Previous administration experience in revolving loan (small and micro)
■ Strong presence of social dimensions (Taking into account the children's and women's
employment problems) and environmental requirements (considering handling of
hazardous waste, environment and the health of the workplace)
On the financial level
The sector should be provided with lending services (revolving loan) to the members of the official
union or NGO, which should plan to convert the informal sector to formal traders and workshops.
At the legal level
The NGO shall supervise the transformation procedure of the informal sector to formal traders
and workshops of WEEE management program and provides legal support for them by facilitating
their access to the legal approvals necessary to obtaining commercial registers and tax cards.
Further, the NGO should help to facilitate the development of these workers in the formal image.
At the social level
The NGO shall raise public awareness about dealing with electronics consumer and appreciating
the seriousness of this matter in the absence of proper handling of these wastes on public health,
by necessity of dealing with formal registered companies.
At the institutional level
Choose one or more of the Egyptian NGOs with expertise in the area of WEEE management
and who have a strong influence with the traders and owners of workshops (This can be done in
collaboration with the Association or more international civil associations willing to work in Egypt
in this field who have sufficient experience) to provide training services for industrial health and
safety, methods of dismantling, recovery of precious materials processing and marketing, as well
as the health and social insurance services for employees. They can also assist in establishing
a union for workers in this area to protect these workers from the monopoly of the big traders, to
secure sustainability of their work, as well as to help to put them on official business map.
On the environmental level
On the environmental level, it is required to implement standards for places of storage, processing
and recycling of electronic waste. Occupational health of workers should be promoted by
continuous inspection of work places and impose fines in case of environmental law for violation.
12-4
12-5
12-6
12-2
12-3

Informal Sector
Needs Assessment
13

Following is an elaboration of the needs of the informal sector after identifying the current situation
at all levels and the discussion of her weakness points:
At the technical level
Following is a discussion of the current situation of the informal sector regarding dealing with the
WEEE by tracking the wastes cycle from the beginning.
13-1

Waste Collection
The current situation
The WEEE is generated from:
The residential areas
The WEE is collected from:
■ Household garbage as they are separated through the garbage sorting process done by
the traditional scavengers to recycle or resell
■ Home appliances sold to ROBABIKYA traders (they sell the waste to another traders or
maintenance workshops to repair them or use as spare parts)
Commercial or industrial institutions
■ The used or damaged electronic devices are sold through auctions according to the
generated quantity and the administrative and legal system in these institutions
The needs
In order to organize the WEEE management, a system that includes trading centers to deal
with the waste (a chain of receiving sites) specially the generated from the residential areas;
this allows the trading of waste with reasonable prices –according to its value (can be recycled
or contains valuable materials), as the wastes and the damaged devices shall be collected and
sorted according to their material and their contents. The environmental and health and safety
dimensions shall be considered when dealing with waste even during preparation for export.
WEEE Storage
The waste is stored as a primary storage in:
■ Houses of residential areas before selling or getting rid of the other household wastes
■ Warehouses in commercial and industrial installations
Waste is stored after collection as follows:
■ Opened or semi closed areas
■ Closed and built stores belong to large traders and the traders that have formal commercial
registers and taxes cards
The needs
Awareness of the importance of storage of the electronic waste regarding the technical,
environmental and health issues by sorting, packaging and initiating a data base and records
to facilitates the trading process as well as facilitate the identification of the size and quantity of
materials including precious, rare and base metals that can be retrieved from the waste.

WEEE Treatment
Now the damaged and consumed electronic devices are treated as the following:
■ Stored and sold as they are for traders or for maintenance workshops to be used as spare
parts
■ Dismantled and selling components to repair workshops. The smashed parts are sold to
scrap dealers or for workshops to be recycled specially the plastic parts or the metal parts
■ Dismantle special fractions such as the boards for sale to exporters after packaging
■ Try to refine some elements of fraction to obtain precious metals such as gold and platinum
The needs
■ Providing training courses and information guidelines for the most appropriate means of
recovery of precious metals from the consumed or smashed electronics
■ Provide the necessary equipment for the recovery of precious metals at a reasonable cost
and through a small lending programs
■ Provide PPEs and industrial safety equipment that is used to protect workers
Fractions Export
The PCBs are collected by large dealers and then sold to exporter, which compile large amount to
be properly packed and prepared for export through local customs codes that allow export.
The needs
Outsourcing the fractions refining outside Egypt in clusters, i.e. many of them should act in group
to gather the required feasible amount, which is 50 ton/month and share the cost of this process
in order to realize a profit.

Mapping of-informal-sector

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