At a conference of coastal cities held on January 29, 2018, Herzliya Mayor Mr. Moshe Fadlon, Zalul CEO Maya Jacobs and the chairman of the Herzliya Municipal Tourism Development Corporation Mr. Jonathan Jacobovitz, announced the launch of a "City without Plastics", the first environmental pilot project of its kind in Israel and worldwide, in which a city (Herzliya Municipality) will gradually stop using disposable plastic tools.
The project is the result of Zalul's initiative and will be operated as a cooperation of the association, the Herzliya municipality and the municipal company for the development of tourism in an effort to deal with and solve the plague of plastic pollution. The pilot will begin at the mayor's office and the municipality building, and from there he will gradually proceed to the city's various institutions: kindergartens, schools, large public events sponsored by the municipality, businesses along the sea side, neighborhoods, public institutes and more…
Herzliya’s Mayor Mr. Moshe Fadlon said: "The city of Herzliya is one of the leading cities in Israel in the field of sustainability and environment. The widespread use of disposable plastic and the pollution caused by it necessitate vigorous action and the Herzliya Municipality is pleased to be the first to undertake the "City without Plastics" project. “This is a revolutionary approach that will reduce waste and thereby protect our marine and coastal environment and our natural resources."
Zalul CEO Maya Jacobs said: "Herzliya is a city that lives the sea, which is an inseparable part of the residents' lives. Plastic pollution at sea is a major ecological disaster, leading to the deaths of hundreds of thousands of animals worldwide each year. Experts say that by 2050 there will be more plastic at sea than animals. ‘City without Plastics’ is an important project that forms part of Zalul's overall activity to eradicate the environmental disaster caused by plastic. These join the Bags Law, the demand to apply the Deposit Law on large beverage bottles, and the initiation of another future bill to reduce the use of disposable tools and mark them with warning instructions as they mark cigarette packs."
"This initiative is another step in the framework of the vision that has been implemented in Herzliya in recent years under my lead, in order to reduce the impact of man on the sea. This is all a part of a goal I setup for myself to insure that the city of Herzliya will preserve its most valuable assets, the sea and the seaside" said Adv. Jonathan Jacobovitch, chairman of the Herzliya Municipal Tourism Development Corporation. “This current action is in alignment with actions already taken, such as: stopping the flow of sewage to the beaches, treating the drainage system before the first rain, cleaning the sea floor, expanding beaches by transporting sand instead of breakwaters, etc. I Thank the Mayor for his support and Zalul for their fruitful cooperation. The actions we are taking will be gradually & wisely lead and in accordance with our vision, and will eventually include the entire activity in Herzliya, in hope that private entities and other authorities will adopt similar initiatives. "
The pilot will last 2 years, in which all municipal authorities cease using disposable plastics, with emphasis in cups, plates and cutlery. The process will be professionally accompanied by Zalul and with tight cooperation with the Herzliya Municipal Tourism Development Corporation.