Located in the northern part of Israel, in the western Galilee, Kfar Vradim is in an area surrounded by greenery. But this summer, the town decided to go greener. Starting last week, the town council of Kfar Vradim put a decision about trash into effect.
In an attempt to encourage their residents to recycle more, they have reduced their garbage collection frequency from twice a week to once a week. The hope is that when residents see their garbage piles heaping up they will consider alternatives to the trash can. Namely, the recycling bin.
The Kfar Vradim press release is as follows:
“A revolutionary decision made by the town council of Kfar Vradim in the Galilee: the town council of Kfar Vradim is the first authority in Israel to decide that garbage will be collected once (instead of twice) a week as of June 1, 2009. This decision’s objective is to increase recycling. The town council of Kfar Vradim used to, like the rest of the Israeli municipalities, collect garbage twice a week. The decision to reduce collection to once a week is intended to increase recycling among town residents so that plastic bottles, cardboard, and newspapers (which constitute approximately 60% of refuse volume) are transferred to recycling facilities.
“The mayor of Kfar Vradim, Sivan Ihieli, noted that his vision is to develop environmental awareness and green construction in Kfar Vradim within the framework of strenghtening and developing the Galilee. Ihieli noted that, ‘awareness of the need for environmental preservation is strong in Kfar Vradim. This is a place with quality education and people who care about the human and physical environments.'”
Read more about the Galilee region::
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Controversial New Arab City in the Galilee
Real Estate Developers and Environmentalists Clash Over Nahal Betzet Beach in Western Galilee
Author: Karen Chernick
Much to the disappointment of her Moroccan grandmother, Karen became a vegetarian at the age of seven because of a heartfelt respect for other forms of life. She also began her journey to understand her surroundings and her impact on the environment. She even starting an elementary school Ecology Club and an environmental newsletter in the 3rd grade. (The proceeds of the newsletter went to non-profit environmental organizations, of course.) She now studies in New York. Karen can be reached at karen (at) greenprophet (dot) com.
I think it is fantastic how we are using renewable energy and going green in so many ways. I think we also need to do things like reducing our energy usage, like installing geothermal heat pumps to replace high energy heating and cooling systems.