Geocycle Egypt, Lafarge Egypt team up to clean Nile water from plastic waste

26 / 07 / 2023

By Marwa Nassar - -

Geocycle Egypt – a fully integrated leading waste management service provider – has collaborated with Lafarge Egypt – a global leader in innovative and sustainable building materials and solutions and a member of Holcim Group – to launch a voluntary initiative aimed at removing plastic waste from the Nile River, in line with the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) and Egypt Vision 2030.

The aforementioned initiative aims at cleaning the Nile water from plastic waste in the Dahab Island, with the active and voluntary participation of around 35 employees of Lafarge Egypt and Geocycle Egypt.

The two companies will be responsible for treating the waste collected under a process called “co-processing”, where all waste is reused as an alternative energy source instead of burning fossil fuels in cement.

This initiative is considered a critical and effective step in raising awareness about the danger of plastic pollution and the importance of improving the environment and engaging in such activities.

This highlights commitment of Lafarge Egypt and Geocycle Egypt to cherishing Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR) and incentivizing employees to adopt a culture of engaging in voluntary activities.

This also falls within the framework of the sustainability strategy of the two companies which focuses on environmental, economic and social aspects of sustainability for a greener future. This will be achieved through the preservation of natural resources, the use of eco-friendly raw materials in manufacturing processes, sustainable and safe waste management practices, and promoting clean energy usage.

The two companies are committed to complying with health and safety regulations, which aligns with Holcim’s net-zero pledge for accelerating green growth. These efforts also conform with Egypt’s plans for transition to a green economy and its efforts to adopt sustainable technologies to achieve Egypt’s Vision 2030.

In this context, Jimmy Khan, CEO of Lafarge Egypt, affirmed the company’s commitment to positive and effective participation in the community, as well as recycling waste as an alternative fuel during cement production to achieve an integrated environmental system.

He stated, “I am very proud of today’s initiative. We must all spread the culture of preserving the environment from within and through our employees. Therefore, the act of volunteering must be embedded as an essential part of institutional work in companies, and it should be continuously supported and encouraged for a more prosperous community socially and environmentally.”

Adham El Mahdy, General Manager of Geocycle Egypt, said “We play a pivotal role in solving the issue of safe waste disposal, as we have extensive experience and are pioneers in the waste management field. This aligns with our strategy to drive Egypt’s green transition, reduce environmental pollution, and achieve Holcim’s “Building New from Old” strategy, in addition to Egypt Vision 2030 and the United Nations’ Sustainable Development Goals. Our goal is to turn waste from a problem into a genuine opportunity. Through today’s initiative, in cooperation with Lafarge Egypt, we were able to collect around 350 KG of waste, which will be processed and treated environmentally with safe precautions.”

It is worth noting that this was not the first of its kind initiative for collaboration between the two countries. Lafarge Egypt and Geocycle Egypt have been continuously making efforts to protect the Nile River from pollution. Last year, they took the initiative to clean up Baltim Beach from plastic waste, as they are committed to providing environmental initiatives that support local communities and leave a positive environmental footprint.