Zabbaleen: The Garbage Pickers of Cairo, Egypt

Living on Earth
The World

Zabbaleen is an Arabic word meaning “garbage people.” Laurie Neff reports from Egypt’s capital Cairo on these Zabbaleen who are active and enterprising recyclers, and what they can teach people in other huge cities around the world about rubbish re-use.

Will you support The World?

Without federal support, local stations, especially in rural and underserved areas, face deep cuts or even closure. Vital public service alerts, news, storytelling, and programming like The World will be impacted. The World has weathered many storms, and we remain steadfast in our commitment to being your trusted source for human-centered international news, shared with integrity and care. We believe public media is about truth and access for all. As an independent, nonprofit newsroom, we aren’t controlled by billionaire owners or corporations. We are sustained by listeners like you.

Now more than ever, we need your help to support our global reporting work and power the future of The World.