Israel is allocating 400 million Shekels, equivalent to 110 million USD, to bolster and expand the nation’s recycling sector. The objective of this funding is to establish or enhance recycling facilities, with a focus on generating new products and raw materials through recycling or waste sorting. Currently, only approximately 24.3% of the 6.15 million tons of municipal and commercial waste generated annually in Israel undergo recycling processes.
Recycling things instead of throwing them away helps protect the environment by avoiding the problems caused by landfills. It also reduces the need for harmful processes like mining and manufacturing to create new items. A “circular economy” is one where products are reused or recycled instead of being thrown away, focusing on well-made products, recycling, waste sorting, and using resources efficiently.
Research from the Industries Directorate of the Ministry of Economy found that mixed waste from households and industries could be worth about 3.2 billion Shekels (USD 870 million) if recycled instead of thrown away. Additionally, cutting down on greenhouse gases could save another 940 million Shekels (USD 255 million). Surprisingly, recycling centers haven’t had an easy way to get government money to help them out.
These findings show that there’s a lot of value in recycling our trash, not just in terms of money but also in reducing pollution. However, recycling facilities need better support from the government to make the most of these opportunities.