The Zabbaleen are an Egyptian community of mainly Christians who are allowed

to collect and dispose of Cairo’s waste by feeding the food waste to their pigs
and other materials such as steel, glass, plastic bottles ECT which are sold as
raw materials, also some material is burnt as fuel. The Zabbaleen live in an area
called Garbage City, this is where the poorer people of Cairo live.

The Zabbaleen were the only formal-system of waste collection in Cairo until
1980. The Zabbaleen collect between a third and half of the waste. This is good
for Cairo as they have a free collection system.

But they also face problems such as their pigs being executed, under the
government’s orders because they were worried about Swine Flu. The authorities
in Egypt have tried to replace the Zabbaleen for many years because they
wanted a more modern system for waste. But many citizens have disagreed with
the idea because they are unwilling to pay the higher fees. This is bad for the
Zabbaleen because this is their life, their job, money, and home.