Egypt partners with packaging companies to launch beverage carton recycling

Egypt’s Ministry of Environment has launched a campaign to recycle used beverage cartons (UBCs) in collaboration with the Waste Management Regulatory Authority (WMRA), along with international and local companies. 

The campaign is said to be the nation’s first-ever campaign for UBCs, and its slogan is “Turn the Carton, Earn the Turn.” The launch, held under the patronage of Manal Awad, Minister of Local Development and Acting Minister of Environment, brought together key stakeholders, including Tetra Pak, Uniboard Egypt, Juhayna, and Beyti, as part of the collaboration.

By encouraging citizens to separate and recycle cartons, the government aims to raise public awareness of waste reduction and the circular economy.

Yasser Abdullah, head of WMRA, says: “This is not just an environmental initiative — it’s a national movement toward shared responsibility.” 

Chris Aboud, general manager of Beyti, adds: “Achieving a circular economy requires engaging the informal sector, changing consumer behavior, and investing in infrastructure.”

Turning waste into value

Minister Awad highlighted that the message “Separate, Collect, Recycle” encourages citizens to take part in protecting the environment. The campaign adopts Bekia, a digital platform that rewards households for recycling.

Last year, Tetra Pak and Uniboard Egypt invested in a beverage carton recycling line in the country, which has an annual capacity exceeding 8,000 tons. The joint investment was €2.5 million (US$2.9 million). 

Since beginning operations, the facility has recycled used cartons into new paper products such as medicine boxes, tissues, and detergent packaging. 

Wael Khoury, managing director of Tetra Pak Egypt, notes that during COP27, the investment funded Egypt’s first beverage carton recycling charter to align public and private sector efforts. He adds that the recycling line marks the culmination of six years of preparation. 

Sherif Al-Moallem, CEO of Uniboard Egypt, says: “In just six months, we collected 4,000 tons and recycled 2,350 tons of cartons — proof of what collective action can achieve.”

Egypt is enhancing its national efforts to address plastic pollution. This month, the country extended its project promoting circular economy practices in the single-use plastics value chain. The project aimed to reduce waste by focusing on the production of single-use packaging materials.