Each year, Israel generates over 6 million tons of municipal waste, and nearly 80% of it is still buried in the ground. Landfilling is the worst possible solution for waste treatment. It contaminates soil and groundwater, emits greenhouse gases for decades, and consumes valuable land resources in a small country like ours. But the greatest damage is something else entirely \u2014 as long as landfilling remains available and cheap, there is no real incentive to develop and build advanced waste treatment facilities. Landfilling stifles innovation and progress in the field.<\/p>\n
Recent remarks by the Chairman of Hiriya, in which he calls on the state to expand waste landfilling, may harm the development of the waste treatment market and condemn us to many more years of environmentally damaging landfilling. The technology is available, and only one thing prevents the State of Israel from making a true revolution in waste treatment \u2014 the continued reliance on cheap and seemingly convenient landfilling.<\/p>\n
Today, Israel lacks many end-of-line waste treatment facilities. These technologies make it possible to generate energy from waste, recycle raw materials, and reduce the volume of landfilled waste by 60% or more. In Sweden, for example, less than 1% of waste is landfilled. In Germany, the figure is under 2%. Why does Israel remain so far behind with 80%?<\/p>\n
The state must declare a clear and binding timeline for ending landfilling. Once the market understands that landfilling will no longer be an option in a few years, we will see real progress in initiatives and projects for end-of-line solutions. More companies and entrepreneurs will enter the field, competing to provide the most efficient, environmentally responsible, and cost-effective solutions. The result will be lower prices and continuous technological improvement, alongside a significant reduction in landfilled waste. Every ton of waste buried in the ground is a missed opportunity to generate energy, recycle materials, and create a true circular economy.<\/p>\n
Global experience proves that when countries set clear targets for reducing landfilling, the market responds quickly and efficiently. In the European Union, landfill reduction directives led to a major leap forward in waste treatment technologies. Today, leading European countries landfill almost no waste at all, achieving this at reasonable costs while creating green jobs and clean energy.<\/p>\n
Israel can and should lead in the field of waste treatment, just as it leads in other technological domains. The technology exists, is proven, and ready for implementation. The path forward requires a simple but critical decision \u2014 ending landfilling. This is not a call for massive government intervention or huge subsidies. On the contrary, it is a call to allow the free market to operate, competition to develop, and technology to prove itself, under enabling regulation and clear, decisive policy.<\/p>\n
It must choose a cleaner, more efficient, environmentally and economically sound future. Once the market receives a clear signal, results will follow. It is time to stop burying our waste \u2014 and our opportunities \u2014 in the ground, and begin building an advanced, competitive, and environmentally responsible waste treatment industry. The time has come to declare it: the era of landfilling is over.<\/p>\n
Aryeh Zauberman is the CEO of Smart Waste (Smart Waste Ltd.)<\/p>\n
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