Israel's Waste Recycling Rate Stagnates Below 16% Amidst Municipal Disparities
Translated & summarized from Cursorinfo by baba
Israel's waste recycling rate in 2025 was 15.67%, with most waste going to landfills, according to the Central Bureau of Statistics. Haifa led major cities in recycling at 26.28%, while Beit Shemesh was last at 4.98%. Tel Aviv residents generated the most waste per capita, averaging 2.32 kg daily. The national average waste generation was 1.79 kg per person per day.
The story in 6 lines · by baba
- Israel's 2025 waste recycling rate was 15.67%, with most waste landfilled, CBS reported.
- Haifa led major cities with a 26.28% recycling rate, while Beit Shemesh was last at 4.98%.
- Average daily waste per person in Israel was 1.79 kg in 2025.
- Tel Aviv residents generated the most waste per capita at 2.32 kg daily.
- Regional councils achieved the highest recycling rate at 24.04%.
- Garden waste and cardboard were the most recycled materials.
Israel's waste recycling and secondary use rate remained critically low in 2025, standing at just 15.67%, according to preliminary data from the Central Bureau of Statistics (CBS). Out of 6.57 million tons of household and commercial waste collected by local authorities, only 1.03 million tons were recycled, with the vast majority sent to landfills or pre-treatment facilities. The average citizen generated 1.79 kg of waste per day.
While the recycling rate saw a slight increase from 14.7% in 2024, it has largely stagnated compared to 2023's 15.32%. The primary recycled materials were garden waste (approximately 366,000 tons) and cardboard (around 250,000 tons), significantly outweighing recycled plastic (80,000 tons) and glass (63,000 tons).
Significant disparities exist in recycling efficiency across different municipalities. Regional councils achieved the highest recycling rate at 24.04%, while local councils lagged at 12.82%. Among major cities with over 100,000 residents, Haifa led with a 26.28% recycling rate, followed by Ramat Gan (21.66%), Rishon LeZion (19.45%), and Tel Aviv (18.97%).
Conversely, Beit Shemesh reported the lowest recycling rate at a mere 4.98%, with Ashkelon (6.82%), Ashdod (9.41%), and Petah Tikva (9.93%) also performing poorly. Jerusalem's recycling rate was 11.17%.
In terms of waste generation per capita, Tel Aviv residents produced the most waste daily (2.32 kg), followed by Ashkelon (2.17 kg). Beit Shemesh (1.39 kg) and Jerusalem (1.46 kg) residents were the most economical in waste production.
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