Reliance and Empower enter into partnership to create transparency and enable circularity in the Egyptian waste sector
The partnership between Reliance and Empower in Egypt is an acknowledgment of the waste management law (Law 202/2020 (WML)) that was established in 2020 to spur the growth of the waste management industry. Following the introduction of the law, the Waste Management Regulatory Authority (WMRA) was founded to draw up and roll out a national strategy for integrated waste management. This will also play a role in overseeing the regulation of the sector as well as attracting new investors.
The partnership extends Reliance’s commitment to help advance the circular economy for materials and reduce waste pollution in Egypt, re-inserting materials into the supply chain back into the economy.
A large portion of waste collection in Egypt relies heavily on the collectors of the informal sector. Reliance and Empower will provide a tool to formalize the informal sector and make them a visible and valued part of the value chains. Furthermore, the partnership aims to create job security, safety, and prosperity for informal waste workers by creating a proven impact and providing transparency in supply chains.
The partnership will focus on increasing awareness in the country about the value of materials through creating incentives and increasing the treatment & recycling rate of Municipal Solid Waste (MSW). This will ensure the considered waste is managed properly, regains its value, and does not end up in nature for the most part. As visibility is key to enabling this process, the partnership will significantly improve visibility on the actual rate of treatment of MSW hence giving all the stakeholders a benchmark for improvement.
In times of continuous digital transformation, turning to blockchain means providing secure track-and-trace capabilities, which help establish product provenance, improve supply chain governance, and enhance trust and transparency. Blockchain is essential to ensure the traceability process and everyone who participates in the supply chain can be validated.
This partnership is perfectly suited to introduce the concept, as Empower offers a blockchain-empowered technology and digital infrastructure, while Reliance already has established networks and know-how of the local communities.
About Reliance Investments & Project Management
Reliance Investments & Project Management is a leading Egyptian company in the field of Solid Waste Management. Reliance specialises in the treatment and disposal of non hazardous Municipal, Commercial, Agricultural and Industrial Solid Waste.
Reliance is a leader in the fight against Climate Change, and Solid Waste Landfill diversion.
Through its leading waste management activities, Reliance protects Egypt’s agricultural and water resources & coastlines including the Mediterranean Sea. Reliance treats the entire waste streams generated in the Mediterranean city of Port Said and the Suez Canal city of Ismailia.
Reliance produces premium grade Alternative Fuels from treated waste for Egypt’s Cement Industry greatly offsetting the use of Coal. Reliance also produces premium natural organic fertilizer in the form of Compost reducing the use of chemical fertilizers and helping Egypt in its great endeavor to reclaim the desert for agriculture.
Reliance is keen on elimination of unsafe plastic disposal and non-degradable resources in nature and seas.
About Empower
EMPOWER, a Norwegian circular platform company, uses digitisation, cloud-data and blockchain technology to store and facilitate seamless sharing of information about plastic waste and map waste flows to ensure that the plastic ends up where it has the highest value and the lowest cost to society. Empower’s mission is to ensure that all materials have a value and can be tracked from production, to new resources and back into new sustainable products again, with a vision to close the tap on plastic waste and recreate a world without waste.
