Recycling Rice Straw Generated Over USD 25 Million In One Year

During a parliamentary session, Minister of Environment Yasmine Fouad highlighted that recycling rice straw produced more than EGP 1.2 billion—over USD 25 million—in economic return over the span of one year.

The initiative was framed as part of efforts to tie environmental concerns with economic and social outcomes, particularly under its 2024–2027 strategy. According to Minister of Environment Fouad, waste recycling, pollution reduction, and resource management have become central pillars of this approach, with rice straw serving as a standout example.

Egypt began this transition in 2018, which saw a directive from the presidency to embed climate action into economic priorities. By 2025, the country had increased the number of sanitary landfills to 47 and raised its national recycling rate from just 10% to 37%.

The rice straw project is part of a campaign that also includes air pollution monitoring, expanding waste processing infrastructure, and encouraging factories to profit from meeting environmental standards.