Egypt, Switzerland sign $1.4 mln e-waste recycling grant deal
Egypt and Switzerland signed a 1.4 million Swiss franc ($1.73 million) grant agreement on Monday to support sustainable recycling of electronic waste, as Cairo steps up efforts to expand its circular economy and green industries.
The agreement, signed under the Circular Electronics Initiative in Egypt (CEI), will be financed by the Swiss State Secretariat for Economic Affairs (SECO) and implemented by Egypt’s Waste Management Regulatory Authority (WMRA), according to a statement by the Egyptian foreign ministry.
The signing ceremony was attended by Foreign Minister Badr Abdel-Atty, Minister of Local Development and Environment Manal Awad, and Swiss Ambassador to Egypt Andreas Baum.
The project aims to establish the institutional and regulatory frameworks needed for the reuse and recycling of waste electrical and electronic equipment (WEEE), in line with Egypt’s broader strategy to improve resource efficiency and reduce environmental damage.
“The signing of this agreement marks a new milestone in the long-standing partnership between Egypt and Switzerland and reflects our shared commitment to sustainable development,” Abdel-Atty said.
He said the initiative builds on more than 90 years of diplomatic ties and over 45 years of development cooperation between the two countries, adding that Switzerland remains a key development partner for Egypt.
Minister Manal Awad said the initiative comes at a critical time as Egypt intensifies efforts to tackle electronic waste, one of the world’s fastest-growing waste streams.
She said the project would focus in part on developing recycling systems for cooling and air-conditioning equipment, which pose environmental risks due to the gases and compounds they contain.
“The project will help reduce greenhouse gas emissions, recover valuable raw materials and create green jobs,” Awad said.
The CEI project builds on the earlier Sustainable Recycling Industries (SRI) Programme, which ran from 2016 to 2025, and seeks to establish a more integrated system for the sustainable reuse and recycling of electronic waste.
The initiative will focus on four pillars, including regulatory reform, stronger monitoring mechanisms, professional e-waste collection and recycling systems, and improved statistical and tracking systems.
The project, which will run until June 2029, is part of Egypt’s wider push to attract green investment, expand recycling capacity and position itself as a regional hub for sustainable development and resource management.
Attribution: Amwal Al Ghad English