VeryNile removes more than 10 tons of plastic from the Nile every month through the following process:
- 1. Fishermen daily handpick plastic from the Nile from their small boats
- 2. Once or twice a week they bring the plastic to VeryNile’s collection center (located on Qursaya Island)
- 3. Bags are weighed (mixed plastic and PET), fishermen receive a receipt indicating: date, quantity of plastic, kind of plastic, monetary value)
- 4. Fishermen are paid within a week from bringing the plastic, upon bringing their receipt
- 5. PET is separated from other plastics
- 6. Plastic is compacted per kind (transparent PET and low value or mixed plastic)
- 7. Plastic bales are stored until a sufficient quantity is gathered.
- 8. Transparent PET is sent to Bariq. BariQ pelletize the PET. Pellets are sent to Spain to be transformed into yarns under the SeaQual label.
- Low value plastic is sent to Cemex to be co-processed as an alternative to using fossil energy.
VeryNile’s Partnership with CEMEX
A new partnership with CEMEX is allowing VeryNile to expand its environmental impact by collecting more plastic from the Nile than was previously possible. Rather than focusing solely on collecting plastic bottles (PET) that we are able to recycle, we are now able to collect all types of plastic found in the Nile.
The non-recyclable plastic is all sent to CEMEX’s co-processing facility in Assiout, where it used as an alternative source of energy to fossil-fuels. This process also helps alleviate the burden on landfills in Egypt.
CEMEX receives 10 tons of non-recyclable plastic from VeryNile each month, all of which had been collected from the Nile.
