Plastic Bank — Cairo, Egypt

Egypt's Nile Delta — the lifeline of Egyptian civilization for millennia — is today one of the most plastic-polluted river systems in the world. The Nile carries an estimated 84,000 tonnes of plastic waste into the Mediterranean Sea each year, threatening both the coastal fishing communities that depend on healthy waters and the broader Mediterranean marine ecosystem. Plastic Bank's Egypt program, active since 2020, mobilizes over 300 collectors to intercept this plastic before it reaches the sea.

Working in partnership with Henkel, a global consumer goods manufacturer committed to circular packaging goals, the program creates dignified employment in communities with limited formal economic opportunities. Collectors use a digital app to track pickups, receive secure mobile payments, and access social benefits — many for the first time gaining access to formal financial services and insurance protections that give their families greater stability.

Egypt's program is pioneering the expansion of Plastic Bank's model into North Africa and the Arab world, demonstrating that the social-plastic circular economy can work in diverse cultural and geographic contexts. Each kilogram collected represents a tangible step toward cleaner waterways, healthier fishing grounds, and a more resilient economy for the communities living along the Nile.