Cairo, 3 December 2025 — The United Nations Industrial Development Organization (UNIDO), the Delegation of the European Union to Egypt, the Government of Finland, and the Ministry of Industry, together with leading local and international partners, including Orange, Nokia, Cordon Group, are celebrating the progress of the One Circle pilot since its launch end of 2023. The event also announces the next steps of the initiative, including its expansion, new strategic partnerships, and the roadmap toward 2026. Held in Cairo under the title “One Circle – Milestones of Change,” the event highlights the profound transformation achieved by the project in shifting circularity in the ICT sector from a theoretical concept to practical implementation in Egypt, with the support of Orange Egypt, Sofrecom, and eTadweer.
Through a holistic approach that brings together the private sector, government entities, and development partners, the One Circle pilot has achieved a tangible transformation in managing the lifecycle of electronic devices, whether through repair and refurbishment or by channeling e-waste into formal treatment pathways and adopting business models that generate economic and social value. A key pillar of this transformation is the establishment of two centers, extending the ICT electronics lifespan in collaboration with Orange Egypt: a network equipment repair line in partnership with Nokia and DSV, and a smartphone refurbishment center in collaboration with Upgrade, marking a significant shift in the sector’s operational infrastructure.
On this occasion, Ms. Müge Dolun, Programme Manager, UNIDO shared: “One Circle stands as living proof that the circular economy is not just a slogan, but a practical system capable of creating economic value, advancing sustainability, and transforming the ICT sector into a driving force for development.”
Over the past period, the Nokia/DSV centre has collected and screened over 400 network modules locally for repair and reuse, enabling collaboration with multiple operators, including Orange Egypt and Telecom Egypt. On the smartphone side, more than 1,300 refurbished devices have been sold with certified warranty through Orange Egypt, reflecting strong market demand for circular devices and growing consumer confidence in more sustainable and cost-effective alternatives.
In the area of e-waste management, One Circle has collected 10.222 kg of electronic waste and more than 3,000 mobile phones through formal channels, ensuring their entry into certified treatment streams and reducing the environmental impact of unmanaged waste. The e-waste collected will be processed by local certified recycler Greest GreenPlace LLC. All these initiatives resulted in 235,107 kg of avoided carbon footprint, reflecting the environmental benefits of extending device lifecycles and promoting reuse.
The project has not focused solely on operational infrastructure, but also on developing local capacities. It has supported the creation of more than 60 new jobs linked to circular ICT activities, alongside vocational training and skills development for local talent. Additionally, the project’s partner network has expanded from 15 entities at launch to 44 today, demonstrating a broader engagement and impact across technical, logistical, and regulatory value chains.
The significance of these outcomes is underscored by the fact that Egypt is the largest generator of e-waste in Africa, making scalable circular solutions an urgent necessity. The project has also demonstrated that behavioral change is possible: the school outreach programmes recorded a 100% improvement in students’ understanding of e-waste issues.
The overall initiative reached more than 3,000 actors who gained awareness/knowledge on circular economy through awareness activities across schools, villages, rural communities, and other events.
Commercial Counselor at Embassy of Finland to Egypt, Tapio Naula, stated: ”“Finland is happy to support this project because a circular, resource-efficient economy is a necessity for sustainable growth, both locally and globally. Our experience is built on collaboration, science-based policy, and long-term planning, bringing together government, companies, academia, NGOs, and citizens to co-create solutions. When governments provide a predictable framework, businesses invest, innovation flourishes, and new jobs are created in repair, reuse, remanufacturing, and recycling.”
Mr. Emad Abdel Hameed, Assistant to the Minister for Developmental Projects and Financial Affairs at Egypt’s Ministry of Industry, noted that the One Circle initiative supports Egypt’s industrial strategy 2025–2030 and Vision 2030. He noted that the strategic objectives aim to increase the industrial sector’s contribution to GDP to more than 20%, raise the contribution of green industries to no less than 5% of total GDP over the coming five years, and expand industrial employment to reach 7 million jobs as Egypt advances toward 2030.
The event also celebrated the winners of this year’s International E-Waste Day Challenge, which engaged schools across Egypt in collecting e-waste and promoting responsible consumption. More than 800 kg of electronic waste was collected as part of this challenge, which particularly recognized the commitment of Lycée Voltaire / Smart Village Schools, Lycée Français du Caire, and Don Bosco Salesian Institute.
The One Circle pilot will enter a new phase in 2026, expanding repair and refurbishment capacity, strengthening formal e-waste collection, and supporting regulatory frameworks. The initiative is also forming new strategic partnerships, most notably with Raya Trade — a portfolio company of Raya Holding for financial investments, and The Greek Campus. Together, these efforts position Egypt as a scalable model for circular ICT across other countries and sectors.
The EU Delegation to Egypt continues its support for the SWITCH2CE and confirms that the initiative focuses on advancing sustainable practices, which are fully aligned with EU Circular Economy principles.
About the “One Circle” pilot in Egypt:
The pilot “One Circle”, part of the global “Switch to Circular Economy Value Chains” project, targets the ICT and electronics value chain in Egypt. Its ambition is to create a broad alliance of partners – local SMEs and multinationals – committed to transforming ICT and electronics towards a more responsible development model, for the benefit of society as a whole. Led by UNIDO, Orange, Nokia, and Cordon, and supported on the ground by e-TADWEER and Haya Karima Foundation, the initiative focuses on supporting the adoption of circular economy practices, building local infrastructure to extend the life of ICT and electronics, and creating local capacity-building opportunities for sustainable change.
About SWITCH2CE:
The global Switch to Circular Economy Value Chains (SWITCH2CE) project is an initiative that assists EU multinational companies and their suppliers from developing countries to switch to more circular economy approaches and practices in three selected value chains: Plastic Packaging, Textile & Garments, and ICT and Electronics. The overall objective is to support the “Transformation towards a circular economy”, including to contribute to sustainable growth, low carbon and climate resilient development, decent jobs creation, and safer, healthier, and pollution-free environment.
SWITCH2CE is co-funded by the European Union and the Government of Finland, and implemented by UNIDO, in collaboration with Chatham House, Circle Economy, and the European Investment Bank. Learn more at: www.switchtocircular.eu
