The Association for the protection of the Environment,(A.P.E), is a non-profit organization serving the communities of garbage collectors in Cairo, Hurghada, Tora and Wadi El Natruun in Egypt. A.P.E. was formed in 1984 and was officially registered as number 3255 with the Ministry of Social Affairs, under Law 32 of 1964

Objectives
A.P.E Objective is to improve the lives of the indegenous groups of garbage collectors as individuals and as a community .A.P.E combines its interest in serving the poor with its interest in protecting the environment specifically with regards to man-made household waste. It seeks to support the garbage collectors in their private activities of waste collection, disposal and recycling as well as devise its own schemes within this grand scheme of things.

A.P.E improves lives through hands-on implementation of projects in the area of income generation, revolving around recycling, primary health care , literacy, leadership training, mobilization of community resources, advocacy for women and girls, as well as networking with non-profit groups in the area of environmnet and developmnet while fostering strong partnership with government and private sector.

Organization
A.P.E is managed and run by a 9-member board of trustees, a staff of over 50 people from among the garbage collectors, scores of volunteers who perform consulting services int he area of financial management, agricultural extension, deisgning projects, health and medical matters, sewing skills, paper recycling expertise , construction needs, sales and marketing expertise, and many more. The Board translates its policies into projects which are implemented both by paid professionals and by its own unpaid professional volunteers

Goals
Improving the lives of garbage collector families in Egypt
Designing and implementing income generating schemes
Improving the health situation of garbage collectors
Offering lifelong learning opportunities through literacy, primary health care, mother and child care ,social activities, recreation, etc. to girls and young women ion the settlement
Supporting schemes which would protect the environment form the mounting volume of man-made waste
Designing and implementing environmental projects to specifically address the disposal and recycling of garbage
Researching ways and means of improving garbage collection, sorting, recycling and disposal methods
Adopting a participatory approach to grass root development
Promoting better understanding of the dynamics of household garbage collection in urban areas, and the attendant effects of the occupation of a maginalized urban minority
Networking with other NGO''s in an effort to coordinate activities and avoid duplication of effort
Participating at international fora and exchanging best practices as well as transferring technologies of solid waste management.