Investigation on utilizing garbage as a resource for a sustainable neighbourhood: Case study of a neighbourhood in New Cairo, Egypt

Abstract

Abstract Waste management comprises the actions required for managing waste material produced from human activities from its source of origin to its final removal. Usually, it collects resources from all forms of matter such as gaseous, liquid, solid, and radioactive. This action is made to avoid the negative effects of wastes on the environment and human wellbeing. The effect of accumulating waste may be highly severe for numerous communities in developing countries such as Egypt. Egyptian neighbourhoods suffer from effects of accumulating local wastes and garbage. Public health and the visual image of the neighbourhoods, in addition to the different social, economic, and environmental aspects of life are also harmed. In Egypt, this issue becomes more challenging because the defined policies for waste managementare yet in their dawn stage and hence, results are not yet as anticipated, which inflicts severe environmental hazards on Egyptian communities and drains a large portion of the local economy. This study aims to propose a technique to manage the organic waste in Egypt by storing them in anaerobic digesters which turns the wastes into electricity and biogas. It will focus on investigating current social and environmental aspects of the neighbourhood, to determine if this proposal will be appropriate as a solution for getting rid of organic wastes and generate energy, in order to create sustainable neighbourhood. A questionnaire took place revealing that using anaerobic digesters will help the Egyptian government in solve one of its major challenges which is getting rid of neighbourhood’s wastes which decreasing the level of pollutions and epidemics especially in low income districts.