Egypt’s First Tech Recycling Startup Transforms Waste Into Rewards

Across the world, people are becoming more conscious of their impact on the environment, as the battle against pollution and climate change continues. In a country with its fair share of issues with managing waste, Big Scrappers is the Egyptian startup offering people a recycling platform that repays users with cash or in-app points redeemable through their own market.

“We’ve discovered through our previous B2B recycling endeavours that efficient recycling doesn’t only contribute to environmental benefits,” Mostafa El Kabbany, Founder & CEO of Big Scrappers, tells StartupScene. “Our solution also yields significant financial advantages.”

Through an app available for both Android and iOS, users can arrange for Big Scrappers to purchase and collect accrued non-organic waste from their house in exchange for cash and redeemable points.

For those that want to get rid of their waste immediately, Big Scrappers also has three physical stores, and plans to open more stores across Egypt in the near future. The startup also offers B2B programs for companies, schools and other entities that want to partake in their initiative of promoting a circular economy and disposing of waste effectively.

Environmentally conscious customers must simply separate each different kind of waste - plastic, metals, paper, carton, copper and more - in order to cash in on incentive payments, as well as a clear conscience, knowing that less of their waste will end up at landfill sites.

“The surge in the value of aluminium has been stronger than that of gold in recent years,” Kabbany reveals. “I remember when I started trading in aluminium scrap, a kilo was around EGP 2 to 3 - now it’s EGP 90!” Such an uptick in the value of recycled commodities means that Big Scrappers is able to offer comprehensive recycling solutions.

The seamless operation requires a simple request made through the app to one of Big Scrappers’ couriers, who will arrive to collect the waste from the user’s location or simply drop off the waste in one of Big Scrappers’ drop off locations. Recycling of this kind is intended to foster a more circular economy, paving the way for sustainable waste management by transforming recyclable materials into a valuable resource.

Big Scrappers is part of a wider initiative by parent company Kabnoury Holding to engage in recycling in Egypt. GreenMatter is another startup launched under the same company, providing an online platform for both individuals and businesses to buy, store, and trade aluminium scrap and cans. As with Big Scrappers, GreenMatter promotes sustainable waste management practices and offers an attractive commerce platform for individuals and businesses.