UNIDO and Japan to support Egypt with alternative approach to single-use plastics production and consumption

Cairo – Mr. NOKE Masaki, Ambassador of Japan to Egypt, and Dr. Bassel El Khatib, Director and UNIDO Representative of the Regional Hub in Egypt signed an Exchange of Notes as a joint commitment to promote circular economy practices on Egypt’s single-use plastics value chain in order to reduce the plastic waste leaking into the environment.

The signing ceremony was witnessed by H.E. Dr. Rania Al-Mashat, Minister of International Cooperation, H.E. Dr. Yasmine Fouad, Minister of Environment and H.E. Ms. Nevine Gamea, Minister of Trade and Industry, as well as a number of senior governmental officials.

Egypt’s plastic industry has made significant contributions to the country’s economic development and the growth in various key sectors, including packaging, healthcare, the consumer durables and the automotive industries, among others. However, plastic, especially single-use plastic products like bags and packaging, is not properly disposed of when no longer needed and is causing a range of problems including a negative impact on tourism, contributing to flash floods due to clogged sewer systems, and blocking agricultural land drainage systems.

The project will support government efforts to reduce the amount of plastic waste leaking into the environment by demonstrating alternative greener approaches through technical assistance to small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs), and working to raise awareness of existing sustainable plastic production and consumption patterns among stakeholders, producers, and consumers. This multi-level approach is expected to support the development of policies, regulations, and economic tools that will facilitate the adoption of greener processes and sourcing and business models within the single-use plastic value chain.

At the Japan Presidency for G20 2019, having prioritized the global marine litter challenge and aiming for an implementation framework for concerted action, “G20 Osaka Blue Ocean Vision” was shared. It is an initiative aiming to reduce additional pollution by marine plastic litter to zero by 2050. To support it, Japan launched the “MARINE Initiative” to advance effective actions to combat marine plastic litter at a global scale.

Under this initiative, funded by Japan, UNIDO has been conducting a plastic value chain study in Egypt, in collaboration with JICA, to seek the possibility of introducing sustainable technological options such as alternative materials, packaging technology and recycling technology.

Today’s signing is the result of the successful completion of this research, demonstrating the steady realization of the commitment made by Japan at the highest level.

The project will contribute to UNIDO’s Programme for Country Partnership (PCP) for Egypt, launched in February 2020, which aims at achieving inclusive and sustainable industrial development. The PCP is formulated around six components, namely: Industrial Policy and Governance, Investment Promotion, Green Industry, Smart Cities & Sustainable Industrial Parks, Value Chains and Mainstreaming Industry 4.0.

At the signing ceremony, the Minister of International Cooperation, Dr. Rania Al-Mashat, stated “This agreement expresses the joint cooperation between the Government of Egypt, UNIDO and the Government of Japan. It will promote the circular economy and preserving the environment with a focus on integrating the private sector and SMEs into this field, which will support the economic development in our country.”

The Minister of Environment, Dr. Yasmine Fouad, mentioned “This project came after years of hard work towards reducing the consumption of single-use plastic products in Egypt. This sector still faces many challenges, on top of which is the necessary legislation and financial services provided to SMEs in this sector, hence the importance of this project.”

The Minister of Environment showed a number of success stories of SMEs and entrepreneurs who work on designing and producing innovative products to replace single-use plastic products.

“This project reflects the strategic cooperation with UNIDO within the framework of the PCP which is being implemented over the next five years. The project is in line with the national priorities of greening the industry. The government issued a decree to stop providing financial services for single-use plastic manufacturers as they have a significant negative impact on the environment; at the same time a technical support services will be provided to these projects to shift towards environmentally friendly alternatives.” Ms. Nevine Gamea, Minister of Trade and Industry, said.

Ambassador Noke said “the Japanese government has tirelessly promoted 3R (Reduce, Reuse, Recycle) with cooperation of industry and citizens since the 1990s. Plastic packages and bottles in Japan are now known to have most waste-free designs. I am sure technology transfer through this assistance will lead to concrete actions that will protect the bountiful sea around Egypt for future generations. I also hope this project will act as a catalyst for Egypt’s plastic industry to become a new engine of growth in the era of post-Coronavirus and when the efforts to achieve circular economy are accelerating around the globe.”

Director and UNIDO Representative in Egypt, Dr. Bassel Al Khatib, said “we appreciate Japan’s continuous support to UNIDO and Egypt. This project is part of the Green Industry Component of the PCP- Egypt. This Component aims at increasing productivity and reducing the negative environmental impact in the Egyptian manufacturing sector. The new project will follow an integrated framework to enable the green transition of single-use plastics production and consumption, combining regulation, instituional support, firm level support, new technologies and skills enhancement for sustainable manufacturing. This will help achieving the inclusive and sustainable industrial development in Egypt.”