Egypt: The Zabaleen (19 images)

The Zabaleen serve as Cairo's garbage collectors and recyclers. They are Coptic Christians, a minority in Egypt which is 90 percent Muslim. Persecution of Coptic Christians exists at all levels of society. Despite this struggle for equal rights in Egypt, the Zabaleen are a close-knit and self-sufficient community with a deep faith. They have become well-known as environmentalists and innovators, having created one of the most efficient recycling systems in the world. The Zabaleen recycle 80...
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The Zabaleen serve as Cairo's garbage collectors and recyclers. They are Coptic Christians, a minority in Egypt which is 90 percent Muslim. Persecution of Coptic Christians exists at all levels of society. Despite this struggle for equal rights in Egypt, the Zabaleen are a close-knit and self-sufficient community with a deep faith. They have become well-known as environmentalists and innovators, having created one of the most efficient recycling systems in the world. The Zabaleen recycle 80 percent of all the waste they collect. By comparison, most Western garbage collecting companies can only recycle 20 to 25 percent. The main settlement is Moqattam village, population 60,000. The Zabaleen as well as outsiders know the neighbourhood as "Garbage City".
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