Environment Minister Yasmine Fouad said on Monday that work is underway to legalise the status of 5,000 registered garbage collectors.

Addressing the House of Representatives' Human Rights Committee, Fouad said her ministry coordinated with the Ministry of Manpower to license garbage collectors to practice the profession and provide them with social insurance.

The minister pointed out that garbage came first in terms of complaints received by the ministry, followed by sanitation services.

She pointed out that her ministry managed to solve the issue of burning rice straw using proper means in cooperation with farmers. 

Egypt relies in garbage collection and recycling on a system that combines traditional garbage collectors (Zabaleen) and a modern network of sanitation companies.