As the world urbanizes, the challenge to manage waste becomes more acute, as more people means more garbage. While large cities are struggling with their waste management strategies, people of Manshiyat Naser are mastering the ‘resist throwaway culture’. The Zabaleen -a derogatory term for garbage pickers, collects waste from the Egyptian capital, Cairo and carry it back to the neighborhood. It is remarkable to see that the Zabaleen recycles almost 90% of the collected garbage.

Challenge

Manshiyat Naser or more famously known as ‘garbage city’, is notable for having nearly every space covered in garbage including streets and rooftops of the settlement. Zabaleen have been bridging the gap for the lack of efficient waste collection system in Cairo for almost 70 years. The Zabbaleen might be fuelled by necessity, but they possess valuable lessons to teach those of privilege.

Why is that the people who are responsible for keeping are our cities clean are themselves living in the worst possible conditions?

The slum dwellers of manshiyat naser have been neglected and disappointed by the policy makers and are in desperate need for agencies to make a notable change for procuring a chance towards better and healthy lifestyle.

Challenge: Design a waste management- recycle- facility, which provides the provision of reselling and bartering the recycled and reinvented products.

Judges

Eric Corey Freed, Senior Vice President, CannonDesign, United States

Lance Hosey, Principal / Design Director, Gensler, Texas

Jeff Kovel, Principal, Design Director, Skylab, United States

Timeline

Launch: February 15, 2020

Submission Deadline: Aug 18th 2020

Public Voting begins: Sep 15th 2020

Public Voting ends: Oct 10th 2020

Result Announcement: Oct 22nd 2020

Prizes

Prize pool of worth 20,000$

First Prize: 5000$ (For students and professionals)

Runner Up: 6 x 1100$ (For students and professionals)

People’s Choice: 4 x 600$ (Open for all)

Honorable Mention: 12 x 500$ Each

Read more about competition here. 

Top image courtesy of Competitions UNI

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