Manoeuvring a different side of the pandemic, the student-run initiative ‘Gat 3aleek’ is reminding people that just because there’s a virus running around doesn’t mean you get to forget about the environment.

As people try to stay safe, the impact of preventative medical garments on the climate largely goes unnoticed. Although some have opted for reusable cloth masks - which are both better for the environment and cheaper in the long run - many have stuck to disposable masks and plastic gloves. Not only are these materials non-biodegradable, but they’ve also become some of the most commonly littered objects on Egyptian streets.

“Littering in Egypt has become a problem too large to ignore and through the research we conducted, we found out that the more trash there is on the street, the more issues the population has with health, both physically and mentally,” Israa Elsayed, one of the campaign’s five founders, told CairoScene. Elsayed, along with Ola Sleem, Ahmed Abdelsalam, Omar Mostafa and Nada Zaki, started the campaign after their group research gave them insight as to why people litter in the first place. "The majority of people think that a single person's actions won’t lead to any big, negative effects but that mentality is what drives thousands of people to do the same thing as well.”

The group is currently working on raising awareness through street campaigns and social media, and has partnered up with Greenish and the Arab Youth Platform Initiative to keep Egypt’s streets, air, and people healthy. The next time you think ‘heya gat 3alaya?’ Yes, gat 3aleek.