Israel Faces National Waste Crisis as Landfill Capacity Nears Collapse

A year ago, in summer 2025, Israel's State Comptroller issued a troubling follow-up report on the municipal waste management sector, warning of an imminent collapse in this critical area affecting citizens' quality of life. Since then, no effective action has been taken, and the country is rapidly approaching a crisis where local authorities will struggle to dispose of waste, risking garbage piling up on city streets.

The average Israeli produces about 1.8 kilograms of waste daily, mostly disposed of in green bins collected by municipalities. Waste is then sorted and recycled at facilities like the Dan Sanitation Association's recycling park in Hiriya, which processes over 1.2 million tons annually, about a quarter of Israel's municipal waste from 30 central region municipalities. In 2025, 64.5% of waste received was sorted, and 32% recycled, while the remaining 68% was sent to landfills, primarily the Afeq site near Arad, involving costly and polluting transport of hundreds of trucks daily over 200 kilometers.

This landfill-dependent system is reaching its limits. The State Comptroller warned that by the end of 2026, available landfill space would be insufficient, forcing longer hauls and higher costs for waste disposal. The number of active landfills is shrinking, exacerbating the problem.

The Ministry of Environmental Protection has announced plans to build a waste-to-energy facility in Neot Hovav and is exploring establishing a national waste authority similar to those managing electricity and water infrastructure. While these initiatives are positive, they will take at least seven years to complete. Meanwhile, immediate steps are needed, including expanding existing landfill capacity and opening new sites, despite these being less ideal solutions.

Population growth in the Tel Aviv metropolitan area (Gush Dan) of about 3% annually, expected to reach 15% by 2030, will increase waste volumes and strain infrastructure further. Rapid advancement of the Hiriya waste-to-energy plant is crucial to reduce landfill dependency and waste transport. Both short-term landfill expansion and long-term waste-to-energy development must proceed simultaneously to protect public health, environmental quality, and citizens' wellbeing.

Reuven Ladiansky, chairman of the Dan Sanitation Association and deputy mayor of Tel Aviv-Yafo, emphasized the urgency of coordinated action to avoid a national waste crisis.