In preparation for Israeli election day, we present a series of posts with a summary of the environmental positions of the parties running for the Knesset on the following topics: Open Areas and Beaches, Green Energy, Radiation and Global Warming, Sustainable Development, Recycling, Water, and Air & Industrial Pollution and Enforcement.
RECYCLING
Green Movement – Meimad
1. Increasing the scope of recycling in the cities.
2. A mechanism will be established where residents pay for the waste they generate and are credited for savings in waste.
3. The waste market should be managed as a closed system, with the payments for property tax and for waste removal administered separately.
4. The landfilling of organic material should be limited and recyclers should be given incentives by the establishment of collection and treatment systems.
5. Trash separation will be encouraged by: giving financial incentives to the establishment of urban infrastructure and treatment facilities, emphasizing local and regional treatment; authorization and enforcement of the recycling regulations that require local authorities to recycle; outreach to the public regarding the importance of waste recycling.
The Green Party
1. Adjustment of market conditions in order to create incentives for recycling: indirect intervention, limited in time and space, integrated with the educational system;
2. Making a decision that Government support for industrial equipment will only be implemented as environmentally friendly investments; later on preference will also be given to recycled products like: fertilizers, wood, textile, metals, etc.
3. Promotion of recycling of organic waste, which can be separated easily for this purpose in broad applications (especially in the food industry, small communities, and the agricultural sector).
4. Operating composting facilities (production of fertilizer from organic waste) in local authorities;
5. Encouraging industries to produce energy from organic waste (bio-energy), as is customary in Brazil, US and other countries around the world. Bio Energy is clean and healthy to the public.
Israel Hazaka
1. Implementing existing Government programs on topics of recycling all types of trash (construction, organic, household, paper)
2. Reconstruction of landfill sites and providing a governmental example in all Government Ministries and bodies for implementation.
3. Recycling of plastic and paper bags by weight – updating the Deposit Law.
4. Education and public outreach in the education system and in all the media outlets about separation of trash.
5. R&D and purchase of technologies for the production of energy, raw materials and products from waste.
6. The process for constructing recycling plants and producing energy from waste
Labor
1. Converting voluntary recycling into mandatory recycling, will work towards stationing recycling facilities for paper, plastic, glass, and batteries in every municipality, every government office and every large business.
2. Passing a law for recycling of container waste, that will require the recycling of 70% of the total container waste created by every manufacturer or importer in Israel.
The New Movement – Meretz
1. Establishing positive and negative financial incentives, that will encourage consumers to consume less and the consume in an environmentally aware fashion;
2. Encouraging a policy of recycling in the private sector and industry; expanding the Deposit Law to cover drink containers of any volume; establishing goals for recycling and for the purchase of recycled materials as raw material and final products.
3. Establishing a default state for the use of electronic mail and virtual documents in government agencies;
4. Legislating the requirement to collect, recycle and reuse construction debris and recycled solid waste in public projects;
5. Implementing advanced technologies for the treatment of hazardous waste (sequestration stabilization); reducing the extent of hazardous waste using targeted technology and a policy for the balanced use of toxic components, chemical and biological;
6. Reducing the use of single-use plates and utensils and plastic bags, through an educational campaign and economic incentives.
The parties of Hadash, Israel Betenu, Likud, Kadima, and Shas do not refer to recycling in their platforms.
This summary was compiled in Hebrew ::Bar Ilan Environmental Clinic :: Chayim Usviva :: Translated by the greenprophet.com team.
Author: Daniel Pedersen
Having spent my Jerusalem childhood ear-deep in science fiction stories, I’m still waiting for clean and abundant fusion power. On the way, I dabbled in solar-powered desalination and alternative building technologies at Swarthmore College, and studied the chemistry and mutagenic effects of particulate air pollution at MIT for a PhD in environmental engineering. Since returning to Jerusalem in 2002, I’ve directed air quality research campaigns from Rosh Hanikrah to Eilat & Aqaba for Hebrew University. I’ve led cooperative regional projects, wrote a successful proposal for the largest air-quality study in the history of the Middle East, and established the first monitoring network in Palestinian cities. Last year I edited a weekly TV environmental spot on Channel 2 and wrote a companion blog. At Hadassah College I train the next generation of environmental science professionals, audit Israel’s chemical and environmental laboratories for the Israel Laboratory Accreditation Authority, and provide environmental consulting services to diverse clients. Daniel can be reached at daniel (at) greenprophet.com.
