Knesset Internal Affairs and Environment Committee chairman MK Ophir Pines-Paz (Labor) has called on the government to formulate a recycling policy for household waste as soon as possible. "It's a failing that, in 2008, Israel has no general government policy for the recycling and reuse of household waste," he said. "There is huge public demand and the business sector is ready. With a little push from the government, a great change could be made in the industry."
Israel produced six million tons of waste in 2006, according to the Knesset Research Center. The center added that the amount of household waste has increased by 3% a year since 2000, and that each Israeli produces 1.53 kilograms of waste a day. The study found that 80% of household waste ends up in landfills, compared with less than 50% in the EU.
Burying waste in landfills creates numerous problems, including inefficient use of land, contamination of groundwater, and emission of greenhouse gases. In terms of waste, organic material, mostly left over food, comprises 40% of municipal waste, 17% is paper, 13% plastic, 8%, carton, and 5% are diapers. In terms of volume, plastic accounts for 46% of household waste, paper accounts for 15%, carton accounts for 13%, and organic material accounts for 10%.
Several entrepreneurs told the Internal Affairs Committee about Israel's unexploited recycling potential. A prominent entrepreneur was Yuval Tamir, one of leaders of struggle of former Israel Navy commandos who developed cancer after being exposed to the polluted water of the Kishon River. "I decided to continue the battle against pollution in new ways," he said. He said that his new company "takes unsorted household waste and, through a heating process, turns it into raw material that can replace plastic, concrete, wood, and rubber."
Published by Globes [online], Israel business news - www.globes-online.com - on July 15, 2008
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