The Environmental Protection Ministry’s New Campaign Urges Israelis “To Start Thinking Green.”
It is certainly one of our pet peeves in Israel: Friday shoppers buying bag after plastic bag chock full of food. And on the market sidelines food waste piling up, rotting. Most of this then lands up in the landfill, instead of in a compost heap (learn how to make one here) where it can be used to create fertilizer. Apparently the Environmental Protection Ministry has had their fill too. Rather than beat citizens down with angry rhetoric though, they’ve opted for the funny approach. Their new “Starting to Think Green” PR campaign comprises a series of billboard, television, and radio advertisements featuring none other than Tal Friedman.
The Jerusalem Post reports that the first advertisement depicts two women bragging about their hefty supermarket purchases. Tal Friedman then drives up in a garbage truck and suggests that they toss their bags in the back. The premise being that they’ll end up there eventually.
Overbuying or impulse buying at the supermarket accounts for 30% of 1.5 million tons of urban trash. In a ministry-led survey distributed among 510 men and women, 89% of respondents admitted that they throw away food. Another 41% claimed that they had thrown away food purchased on impulse, which they discovered at home didn’t “taste good.”
The ministry aims to arrest this travesty with their funny man ad campaign, while also demonstrating that “greener” behavior amounts to a heavier wallet. On average, the survey found, Israelis waste NIS 350 ($94) each month on food that is thrown away because of excess or poor storage.
Other ads target “heavy-footed driving.” According to the paper, stopping and starting not only uses more fuel, but also sends more emissions into the environment that steady driving.
Keeping public areas clean, and using less paper and/or recycling are also encouraged.
Making small changes in each household can lead to significant reductions not only in overall waste and energy consumption, but could save each person an average of NIS500 ($135).
For more information, contact the ministry’s website: www.greenlife.gov.il
More on energy and waste consumption in Israel:
Israel’s Arbor Day Concentrates More On Environmental Development Projects
Organic Waste Collection and Composting In The Works For Israel
Blondes Have More Fun Composting
Author: Tafline Laylin
As a tour leader who led “eco-friendly” camping trips throughout North America, Tafline soon realized that she was instead leaving behind a trail of gas fumes, plastic bottles and Pringles. In fact, wherever she traveled – whether it was Viet Nam or South Africa or England – it became clear how inefficiently the mandate to re-think our consumer culture is reaching the general public. Born in Iran, raised in South Africa and the United States, she currently splits her time between Africa and the Middle East. Tafline can be reached at tafline (at) greenprophet (dot) com.
