Outdoor cafe at the recycling center

Imagine mountains of garbage from the entire Tel Aviv area – all sorts of garbage because separation of refuse is a very new concept in Israel and only in few municipalities at the moment. These mountains of garbage were located along a major highway,  down the road from a safari zoo and very charming park, and not far from a university campus. Oh, the stench!

That was until 2007. The plans to turn the heaps and mountains of smelly garbage into a park, complete with walking and cycling paths, gardens, cafes, an environmental center, and a recycling center with a resident artist, are on the way to realization. The Ariel Sharon Park, located in the center of the country, and in the Tel Aviv area, encompasses close to 2000 acres. The heart of the park encompasses Hiriya Mountain, and is one of the largest industrial recycling parks in the world.

Chair made from recycled material

School children visit the recycling center to deliver re-usable items and turn them into useful objects. Brigitte – newly arrived from Paris, now a Tel Avivian, is the resident artist. She skillfully turns waste into beauty so that recycling becomes a way of life for the school children she patiently teaches. The bathroom at the center is a work of art, with recycled automobile parts playing a major role.

A ride to the top of the mountain of garbage is an education in itself. Methane produced from the garbage is piped to a local fabric factory to power it! At an adjacent site in the park, lines of garbage trucks wait their turn to dump the goods – which are then separated and recycled.

Experience the real Israel with a self-drive tour. Include visits to ecology centers in Israel.

Book Your Trip to Israel