Millions of Israelis are waiting impatiently for the “all clear” signal that will allow them to remove the plastic sheeting from the windows of their designated anti-missile "sealed rooms" - but environmental organizations warn that it will lead to an environmental disaster. They say that the many tons of discarded heavy plastic will be an intolerable ecological burden, and demand that the government and/or private sector come up with initiatives to handle the plastic in a safe manner.
Environment Minister Yehudit Naot (Shinui) has been holding a series of meetings on the subject, and is confident that she will find an answer before the IDF decides that the situation in Iraq has sufficiently calmed down. That day may not be far off, however, as American forces were reported today to be manning Iraq's western border entrances with Jordan - thus that the chances of a missile being fired at Israel from western Iraq have plunged considerably.
In the meantime, a private company, Trellidor of Rosh HaAyin - with a plant in Carmiel employing 800 workers - is offering to pay 25 agorot (5.5 cents) per square meter for the used discarded plastic. “We have set up six collection sites around the country," said Trellidor CEO Henry Zimmerman, "in Haifa, Carmiel, Raanana, Rosh HaAyin, Jerusalem and Be’er Sheva."
Trellidor uses over 120,000 square meters of the heavy plastic every year in the manufacturing of its security systems, and usually pays a premium price of over a shekel per square meter. “By buying the used plastic from the public and recycling it into our security systems," Zimmerman explained, "we will not only save our company money, but we will be giving people back some of the money they spent to protect themselves, lowering costs for our costumers, and helping to save the country from an ecological catastrophe all at the same time."
Environment Minister Yehudit Naot (Shinui) has been holding a series of meetings on the subject, and is confident that she will find an answer before the IDF decides that the situation in Iraq has sufficiently calmed down. That day may not be far off, however, as American forces were reported today to be manning Iraq's western border entrances with Jordan - thus that the chances of a missile being fired at Israel from western Iraq have plunged considerably.
In the meantime, a private company, Trellidor of Rosh HaAyin - with a plant in Carmiel employing 800 workers - is offering to pay 25 agorot (5.5 cents) per square meter for the used discarded plastic. “We have set up six collection sites around the country," said Trellidor CEO Henry Zimmerman, "in Haifa, Carmiel, Raanana, Rosh HaAyin, Jerusalem and Be’er Sheva."
Trellidor uses over 120,000 square meters of the heavy plastic every year in the manufacturing of its security systems, and usually pays a premium price of over a shekel per square meter. “By buying the used plastic from the public and recycling it into our security systems," Zimmerman explained, "we will not only save our company money, but we will be giving people back some of the money they spent to protect themselves, lowering costs for our costumers, and helping to save the country from an ecological catastrophe all at the same time."