GARBAGE CITY

The Zabbaleen (“Garbage people” in Egyptian Arabic) are Coptic Christians who migrated to Cairo 60 years ago and became the garbage collectors of the city.

Their family-run micro-enterprises have created one of the most efficient recycling systems in the world. They recycle up to 80% of what they collect, whereas most private garbage collecting companies can only recycle up to 25% of the waste.

The Zabbaleen’s method is efficient but it produces poor living conditions. They suffer from many diseases and injuries caused by working and living with garbage.