Years ago, when I first started teaching 'A' level there were some videos we used to watch on Cairo. They explored the City of the Dead, and the life in the city as it grew with new towns being built around the edge of the city.
One aspect of life in the city that was focussed on was the role of the Zabbaleen.
This article brings the story of this group up to date. It seems they are still active and really important in the economy of the city. They could potentially be a good circular economy style case study of a process which has been around for decades, a little like the dabbawalas who feed people in Indian cities. Spellings vary depending on the source.
"These 60,000 residents are mainly Coptic Christians, whose pigs efficiently consume the organic lowest level of waste. The Zabbaleen reportedly recycle 80% of city refuse, far in excess of Western norms."There are excellent images from Hammad Haider taken in the district of Manshiyet Nasser.
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