Arad, a town in Israel's Negev desert, has set out to become a recycling city, a model city in the field of recycling for the entire area. Implementation of the recycling project will be based on upgrading the city's recycling system, alongside education and information activities, aimed at increasing the commitment, cooperation and collaboration of the entire population of the city and surrounding area. Arad's investment in transforming itself into a recycling city is expressed in the allocation of dedicated manpower, broad public participation and improved waste management in the city. The project itself is a joint initiative of the Eastern Negev Regional Environmental Unit, the Arad Municipality, the Ministry of Environmental Protection and the Jewish National Fund by means of the Ruderman Family Charitable Foundation. The Arad Recycling City project was launched in a ribbon cutting ceremony in December 2009 with the participation of Environmental Protection Minister Gilad Erdan. As he cut the ribbon to inaugurate the project, Minister Erdan addressed the students of the Yeelim- Ofarim school in Arad, one of Israel's green schools, in which the festive ceremony took place: "Arad is spearheading the recycling revolution...You, the future generation, think not only of yourself but also about the protection of nature...Dear children, I came here today especially to meet you, the revolution's leaders. Continue to change the world and transform it into a better place for the environment." Ayala Avrahamy-Guber, director of the Eastern Negev Environmental Unit, which serves, among others, Arad, Tamar, and Yeroham in Israel's south, added: "Arad is a symbol of planning and quality. In planning and developing the city, environmental aspects, education for values, and raising a generation of youth which cares about the environment, were all taken into consideration." She then surveyed some of the achievements of the past year, including press releases, information dissemination, preparation of a municipal master plan and more. "We anticipate that in the coming two years, some 50% of the city's residents will take part in the project, making Arad one of Israel's lead cities in the field of recycling."
More Links:
|
|
