CAIRO — Governor of Cairo Atef Abdel Hamid announced March 7 the start of the trial of the first garbage-buying kiosk, which would purchase solid garbage from citizens, including cardboard, plastic and metal waste. On March 11, the kiosk opened in Heliopolis for a trial period of six months before opening in other neighborhoods in Cairo.

The government is testing the feasibility of the project in Heliopolis to see what challenges they might face, before moving to the next phase. As the initiative is still in its infancy, the public response cannot be gauged yet.

The initiative stirred much controversy among the public. Some welcomed it as a positive change in Egyptian society, as people will sort their garbage at home before selling it to the kiosk, which is seen as a real solution to the accumulated trash in the streets of the capital.

Others, meanwhile, believe it was not a very well-thought-out decision and could lead to more accumulated garbage, as sanitation workers would refrain from collecting the remaining organic waste since people would have already sorted out and sold solid garbage.