After
months and months of protests, Egypt is facing a clean-up effort to fix a wide
array of issues. This week alone, news outlets have reported widespread
blackouts and the suspension of the Al-Faraeen
satellite channel. But when it comes to the city's clean up of bottles, cans
and assorted recyclable refuse, Egypt's newest initiatives seem to be moving in
the right direction. With funding provided by the European Union, Egypt is
installing a number of initiatives to clean up the countryside, including
nationwide media campaigns and education programs.
Among the initiatives are a few innovative and
outside-the-box ideas. Among them, a new type of recycling program called
reverse vending machines hits Egypt. In an effort to reward recycling and clean
up the country at the same time, these compactors re-introduce the American
program of turning in glass bottles for cash. These machines help Egypt reuse
more of its discarded resources and get these materials off the streets.
Only a few companies in the
world produce these machines. One such company, Envipco, has drawn interest and
investment from leading entrepreneurs around the world. Their lauded board of
directors includes such names as Chairman and Chief Executive Officer of
U.S. company Wise Metals Group, the world's third largest producer of aluminum
sheet for beverage and food cans, David D'Addario; and Alexander Bouri, the Greek and Lebanese founder of the world's largest independent cement
handling and shipping company, Seament.
Envipco, and companies like them, produce machines and
solutions to return these resources to a form that can be easily used by
beverage manufacturers. This involves patrons not just in a passive recycling
practice but an active cog in a wheel that will ensure that resources go right
back to the manufacturer, saving governments around the world year over year in
resource expenditures, and incentivizing participation in the process.
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