PICK OF THE HEAP

Walking down Cairo’s streets, it’s common to find garbage piled up on every corner, regardless of the neighbourhood. The city spews out at least 17,000 tonnes of trash a day, according to its former Governor, Atef Abdelhamid.

Recovering economic value from garbage, as President Sisi recently exhorted his government to do, remains a challenge. Most is thrown out unsorted and proper waste management is wanting. The piles of rubbish get picked over by cats and dogs, and those digging out items of value – but much of it lies, malodourously, on the streets.

In 2003, the Cairo authorities handed over dealing