Policy framework
National Action Plan
Name:
● National action plan for the sustainable management of Marine litter including plastic in the red sea coast of Egypt –
Brief description:
- This action plan is an integral part of a collective efforts of a sub-regional south-to-south coordination and cooperation between 6 Arabian States those are located on the sea-coast of the Red Sea, namely, Egypt, Jordan, Saudi Arabia, Yemen, Djibouti and Somalia, and are members of the Regional Authority for Protecting Marine Environment of the Red Sea and Gulf of Eden PERSEGA.
- The NAP of each country is governed separately under the specific national circumstances, and governed regionally under agreed MOU between PERSEGA and each individual State. The MOU covered the common specific regional circumstances and interests as well.
- The action plan of Egypt has been officially adopted in December 2021 with full engagement of the national concerned authorities in Egypt led by the Ministry of Environment. The finance of the NAP born from the core-budget in a co-finance modality with other partners.
- The substantive/and procedural elements of the entire NAP of Egypt is using the same approach for actions sustainable management of marine litter in the Mediterranean Sea coast of Egypt, and other Egyptian in-land water ways and water surfaces.
- Egypt recently adopted/and start implementation of some other relevant strategies and action plans that support the national objectives to control marine litter, including plastic in a sustainable management manner, including but not limited to, (a) national strategic actions towards sustainable consumption and production with a particular emphasis on the circularity and blue economy approaches, (b) national strategic actions towards environmentally sound management of chemical and waste,
In preparation
Name:
Egypt Bio-based economy strategy
Brief description:
On-going works to strategize bio-based economy concepts, which also may support activities towards sustainable management of marine litter including plastic.
Legal framework
Name:
Environment law 4/1994
Waste Management law 202/2020
Law no 48 for agricultural resource and irrigation
Brief description:
The legal framework contains verities of legislations/exclusive executive technical regulations, measures and standards, directly emphasizes the modalities of actions towards marine pollution in its wider scope, including marine plastic among other marine litter. Nevertheless, it also reflects the in-land waterways, and in-land water surfaces pollution, and measures to control marine litter, including plastic.
Indicators
Under Development
Within the context of national strategy for digital transformation, the development in the methodologies for collecting and accredit data about the sources, either land-based or marine-based, are on-going under the relevant national competent authorities, this national process is on-going in a comprehensive holistic approach with guidance and support from the ministry of information and communication technologies. The Waste Management Regulatory Authority under the ministry of Environment established the necessary digital infrastructure to secure the appropriate sustainable flow of data, needed for the actions programed in the NAP, which will allow the ministry of environment as the led national competent authority, to set up the specific indicators, and release it in the periodical National Environmental Status Report.
Measures
| Introduce Extended Producer Responsibility (EPR) |
No * the application of the EPR is still challenging inclusivity and integral govern, but yet, its implemented in a voluntary bases, by majority of international businesses and, firms those based in Egypt under the Egyptian investment law. * there are on-going procedures under national waste management law need to be identified to ensure an agreeable with all the stakeholders on the overall application modality as fee-based EPR system |
| Reduce single-use plastic (shopping bags, straws etc.) by regulations or voluntary measures | Yes |
| Steps taken/ to be taken towards restricting microplastics in personal care products | No |
| Improve waste management recycling system | Yes |
| Are there any human-centric, collective efforts/ actions/ practices for sustainable MPL management |
Yes * Human-centric is an essential pillar among all policy directives, including waste management policy directives. * The informal-sector is an integral element in the waste management in the country, and all the planned actions highlighted the role of this important sector, which activities can be done/or need full engagement by this sector, procedures to formalize the processes shows positive out-puts, but still challenging the inclusivity with the health and labor aspects. |
| Conduct clean-up activities in rivers/ wetlands/ beaches/ coasts/ coral reefs/ sea floor, involving local communities involving local communities |
Yes |
| Taken/to be taken National Level Action and/or Community Level Action on Clean sea initiatives including ghost net retrieval, ocean-bound plastics etc. | Yes |
| Created/creating a value Chain opportunity for abandoned, lost and discarded fishing gear (ALDFG) | No |
| Financial incentives for fishers to promote the collection of end-of-life fishing gears | No |
| Encourage/ Incentivize action by private sector companies to reduce/ sustainably manage their plastic waste (e.g., Fishing Gear) through policies/ regulations (e.g., Extended Producer Responsibility) | Yes |
| Do you have/are you building/ are you promoting technology based plastic waste re-use, recycling and recovery opportunities | Yes |
| Install capturing trap/filter on drainage/river | Yes |
| Promote innovative solutions (e.g., upcycling fishing equipment, Creating plastic circular economy etc.) | Yes |
| Boost multi-stakeholder involvement and awareness-raising | Yes |
| Share scientific information and knowledge: R&D and monitoring | Yes |
| Participate in international cooperation through international organizations, multi-national groups, etc. |
Yes * and multi-lateral environmental conventions and IMO conventions |
| Support target region by your international cooperation initiatives/projects: South, Central and Southeast Asia |
Yes * Egypt is part of the G77 |
| Support target region by your international cooperation initiatives/projects: Africa |
Yes * Egypt is part of the G77 |
| Support target region by your international cooperation initiatives/projects: Latin America |
Yes * Egypt is part of the G77 |
|
Measures |
Achievements |
|
Prevention and reduction of plastic waste generation |
|
|
Levy of charges/ taxes for single-use plastic products (e.g. shopping bags, straws) |
|
|
In progress Stop the free retail distribution of single use plastic bags by the law enforcement and national strategy |
|
|
Ban on use of single-use plastic products (e.g. shopping bags, straws) |
|
|
No |
|
|
Actions for encouraging sustainable / circular product design |
|
|
Yes |
|
|
Regulations on microplastics |
|
|
No |
|
|
Government actions on microplastics |
|
|
No |
|
|
Community actions on microplastics including individual and wider stakeholder involvement (e.g. businesses, coastal community etc.) |
|
|
No |
|
|
Measures |
Achievements |
| Environmentally sound waste management | |
| Enforcement of proper waste management system | |
|
Yes |
We have seen a positive improvement over the last two years Comments: |
| Prevention of littering, illegal dumping and unintentional leakage of waste into the ocean | |
|
Names of actions: |
|
| Are linkages between marine litter and blue economy being studied by your country? Has your country taken any policy/ legal measures to address these linkages? | |
|
Names of actions:
|
|
|
Measures |
Achievements |
| Cleanup of marine plastic litter | |
| Collection of scattered waste on beach | |
|
Names of actions: |
We have seen a positive improvement over the last two years |
| Removal of plastic litter from the ocean | |
|
No We don’t have ocean But we may collect plastic waste on river stream but we don’t do the same with our seas |
|
|
Measures |
Achievements |
|
Promotion of innovative solutions |
|
|
Policy actions for encouraging plastic alternatives (e.g. biodegradable plastics, circular product design – including use of recycled materials or closed-loop recycling) |
|
|
Names of actions:
Brief description: |
|
|
Measures |
Achievements |
|
Monitoring & Scientific research on marine plastic litter |
|
|
Actions for encouraging monitoring / scientific research on plastic flows and ocean surface microplastics |
|
|
No |
|
|
Engagement in international/regional level actions for encouraging monitoring / scientific research on plastic flows and ocean surface microplastics |
|
|
No |
|
Challenges
Recycling system improvement
Proper waste management system (including lack of local capacity)
Data collection related to waste in general
Data collection related to marine plastic litter
Lack of awareness among citizens, business, local governments
Lack of financial incentives for waste treatment in general
Lack of financial incentives for technology development
Best practices
National level
Legal frame work
Awareness campaigns
Collaboration with NGOs and private sectors
Local level
Public initiatives
Private sector
Public private partnerships
Initiatives
Contact Details
Eng . Yosra Abdelaziz – minister’s of Environment tech support office
[email protected]
Dr. Adel shafei – WEMRA CEO advisor
[email protected]