Bringing Our Vision to Life

Waste Objectives by 2024:

Reduce waste production through recycling and reusing a variety of materials: 

• Cardboard cartons - 50% reuse, 50% recycling
• Electronics - 100% recycling
• Organic - 100% composting of organic waste from businesses  

Organic waste from visitors - 50% composting and 50% is used for energy production

• Packaging - 100% recycling
• Paper - 100% recycling      

Treatment of two streams of plastic:

• Recyclable plastic will be 100% recycled into raw materials
• Non-recyclable plastic for R.D.F to produce energy

Wood and building waste treatment 

Actions Taken:

• Recycling cardboard cartons
• Reusing cartons for household moves
• Recycling electronic waste and batteries
• An industrial composter capable of processing up to 500 kg of organic waste per day, with sales available to the Center’s customers
• Three demonstration composters: Home Biogas, Vermicomposting (using bloodworms), and Bokashi composting (using fermentation for omelettes)  
• Recycling iron 
• Reducing dry waste and sending it to recovery facilities instead of landfilling it
• Managing wood waste by renewing it within the carpentry class and selling wooden pallets and wooden furniture  
• Recycling office paper  

Water and Drainage Objectives by 2028:

• To achieve a 30% reduction in water consumption by recycling air conditioner water (condensate)
• Building a graywater reservoir to be used for toilet flushing
• Drains - completion of 100% of the drains to prevent flooding
• Sewage - implementing fat separation systems in all food businesses to repurpose fat for energy generation and/or compost production

Actions Taken:

• Installing flow regulators (aerators) in the restrooms
• A pilot project is currently underway to recycle a portion of the circulating water from the cooling tower
• Currently, regulations do not permit the use of graywater
• Completion of drainage systems carried out in collaboration with the Tel Aviv Municipality 
• Demonstration of a green roof (for rainwater collection)
• The installation of three fat separators to treat all fat sources at the Center has been completed, with the exception of one business at Gate 1

Urban Agriculture and Sustainable Food Objectives by 2028:

• Promote sustainable and urban agriculture, fostering entrepreneurship and innovating solutions for establishing agricultural farms to grow vegetables benefitting dozens of businesses in the Center and in central Tel Aviv
• Promote the reduction of meat consumption and support the establishment of a vegan fair
• Preservation of biological diversity / species

Actions Taken:

• The vegan fair commenced operations in May 2023
• Approximately 19 tons of food per year from the food market are donated to those in need through charitable associations
• An attempt to establish a productive agricultural farm on the roof failed due to financial and regulatory obstacles
• An attempt to grow spirulina - failed   
• An attempt at agro-voltaic farming was found to be economically unfeasible 
• An educational farm has been established, successfully catering to visitors, tourists, students, and pupils 
• Additional solutions: hydroponics, aquaponics, diverse growing media and the use of vertical walls

In the planning and implementation phases:

• A collection and distribution hub for directly marketing agricultural produce from the farmer to the consumer
• Cultivation of mushrooms and algae

Energy Objectives by 2028:

• To achieve a 30% reduction in energy consumption and transition to 100% renewable energy by 2028

Actions Taken: 

• We replaced chillers, pumps, frequency transformers and lighting
• We have installed command and control systems, shading systems and frequency transformers
• We have determined effective operating regimes 
• We replaced and added thermal insulation
• Savings of hundreds of thousands of NIS per year

Greenhouse Gas Emissions Objectives by 2028:

• To achieve zero emissions by 2028 and move towards a positive offset of approximately 500-1,000 kilograms per year through tree planting, sustainable agriculture

Actions Taken

• Transition to energy efficiency 
• Transition towards electricity production from natural gas 
• Investing in the advancement of renewable agriculture
• Planting over 14,000 trees by 2023
• We reduced direct emissions from 7200 tons to 2600 tons per year - a 64% reduction At a carbon price of $6-8 per ton, the estimated savings amount to approximately NIS 120,000

Urban Nature Objectives by 2028:

• Establishment of a park on the roof of the Center with urban nature centers
• Nurturing wildlife in our environment - colonies of bats, insects, butterflies, a birding center, and bees on the roof    

Actions Taken:

• Establishing a biodynamic bee farm 
• Establishing pollination gardens and insect hotels 
• We also provide a nurturing habitat for cycads, bats, an insect hotel, falcons that visit independently, and an unoccupied hornbill nest (do you know of a hornbill couple looking for a home?) 
• We are in the stages of establishing an ornithology center     

Transportation Objectives by 2028:

Development and improvement of all modes of access to the Center:

•  
• Promoting walkability 
• Promoting cycling
• Two-wheeled vehicles
• Public transportation 
• Electric vehicles 
• Shared vehicles

Actions Taken:

• We have added bicycle parking spaces
• We worked on having a crosswalk added
• We have installed lockers for electric bicycle battery chargers 
• We have installed public electric scooter chargers and electric vehicle charging stations
• Ongoing activities of an internal association for bicycle renewal and repair (held three times a week on the roof) 
• Events focused on bicycle exchange, repair, and utilization    
• Subsidized parking spaces for car-sharing services like Car2GO    
• Encouraging public minibus parking - Bubble Dan failed the concept /company closed down
• Bicycle repair station at Gate 3
• Surveys conducted in collaboration with the 15 Minutes Association regarding the use of public transportation

Workers Objectives by 2028:

• All workers will be direct employees
• Frontline employees will be given the option of additional work and additional wages
• The deal includes: age diversity, people with disabilities, and cultural diversity
• Promoting education 
• Promoting health and wellness
• Life-changing loans

Actions Taken:

• Approximately 100 contract employees were hired as direct employees
• Women hold 53% of management positions
• Approximately 6% have disabilities
• Summaries of employment contracts will be provided in 5 different languages 
• Salary and financial assistance terms:     
• The Center’s workers are always paid above minimum wage 
• Advances - same day / next day
• Loans - with quick approval, not later than the next paycheck
• Unconventional loans for purchasing a business/home in the worker's country of origin     

We also assist our workers: 

• Assistance and representation with authorities such as the National Health Service, National Insurance, banks, local authorities, the Ministry of the Interior, and the Immigration Authority
• We promote professional training and studies
• As part of the transition from the Cleaning Department to the Recycling and Cleaning Department, we implemented salary increases based on the sale of waste for reuse
• Occasional monthly bonuses for frontline employees
• Employee referral bonuses 
• Supportive benefits for mothers returning from maternity leave during the first year
• Leading the delivery of clothing, toys, electrical appliances, and furniture to employees    
• Benefits offered by approximately 50 businesses 
• Gifts for birthdays, weddings and holidays
• Savings of NIS 24K in workers' insurance and work accidents due to a drop to zero claims

Businesses Objectives by 2028:

• Establishing dozens of small / micro businesses
• Encouraging businesses in the Center to adopt environmentally friendly practices such as reducing packaging and disposables, promoting lending and borrowing, embracing renewal, and supporting fair employment practices 
• Opening businesses that operate within the sustainability sector
• Promoting independent private businesses (which are not chains)
• Holding dozens of classes, courses, fairs, pop-ups

Actions Taken:

• A model for fostering small or micro businesses    
• Creating a venue for non-profit and social organizations for fundraising, outreach, exhibitions, conferences, fairs, and courses
• Promoting second-hand, exchanges, loans, and rental businesses
• Promoting regular, seasonal, holiday, and occasional fairs    

Community Impact Space Objectives by 2028: 

• We aspire to be a hub for a wide range of non-profit associations
• impact ventures and social businesses to raise awareness, secure funding, inspire action, and educate
• A versatile platform for hosting fairs, exhibitions, conferences, classes, workshops, courses, events for organizations, as well as for art, culture, and sports
• A solution for diverse communities with special needs 

Actions Taken:

• A social and community space catering to diverse groups including events, meetings, and tailored solutions for special needs individuals, the LGBT community, teenagers, enthusiasts of geek culture, fantasy, science fiction, tattoos, piercings, books, music, conscious sexuality, and the transition of marginal cultures to the mainstream. Our space promotes acceptance of others and celebrates diversity
• Hosting associations for free or at a nominal price, providing information booths, fundraising opportunities, fairs, exhibitions, spaces for trainings, lectures, and activities, including basic equipment. We offer local advertising, social media promotion, and shared participation in costs
• A partial list of our partners:  Magen David Adom, SPCA Israel, SOS, ALUT (Israeli Society for Autistic Children), Shava Pituach (Worth Development), Zikaron BaSalon, Liberal Communication, Equinote, Creative Change, Maof, TNS Israel, Shikma, Mabat, Alon and Ella Association, Eco Denim, Street Art Production, the Israel Dance Sport Federation, Another World exhibition, Organic, Sustainable Carpentry from Building Waste, OPA, Boomerang, Life and Environment, the Olympic Committee and more.     
• Collaborations with the Municipality of Tel Aviv, the President's House, the Ministry of the Environment, the Ministry of Education, and the Ministry of Energy.
• Collaborations with academia including HIT, Shenkar, Bezalel, Porter Building Tel Aviv University, Reichman University, Ben-Gurion University of the Negev, Ariel University, Tel-Hai College, Kibbutzim College Seminary, and Columbia University.
• Renewal
• Internal
• Boomerang
• Carpentry classes using construction waste
• Shankar's Fashion Startup Course
• Art and culture

School of Sustainability Objectives by 2028:

•  
• To be a center for education and strengthening of urban sustainability
• Promoting environmental awareness and social impact as a source of education, and replication for the model for a sustainable mall 
• Engagement with government offices, municipalities, and schools 
• Organizing a conference - a Place for Optimism - a platform for solutions addressing social, environmental, and economic challenges in Israel and globally
• Engagement in promoting solutions to the climate crisis through hosting and representing participants from around the world 

Actions Taken:

• Establishing an ecosystem that hosts and showcases solutions, applications, and ventures
• Exhibitions, fairs, start-ups, commercial companies, associations, and activists focusing on social, environmental, and community issues
• Rooftop activities on renewable energy, urban nature, urban agriculture, insulation by growing surfaces, growing workshops, educational greenhouse, biodynamic beekeeping.
• Holding tours, workshops, courses on a variety of topics related to urban sustainability for kindergartens, elementary/middle/high schools, for soldiers, for "Taglit", for students, for academic institutions, for local authorities, government offices, delegations from abroad.
• Activities inside the building include demonstrating solutions to optimize energy and water consumption, conducting waste separation and treatment at the source, promoting a shift from a linear economy to a circular economy by supporting second-hand businesses, minimizing packaging use, promoting reusable tools, advocating for renting and borrowing instead of purchasing, and providing a platform for non-profit organizations, social activities, and various environmental initiatives.
• Trainings, information booth exposures, peak day events, fundraising opportunities, exhibitions, fairs, workshops, and activities tailored for children, families, and youth Cultivating vegetation for cooling, ornamentation, and oxygen production.
• Promoting and supporting small and micro businesses through fairs, pop-up stands, and involvement of professional entities to facilitate the transition to permanent businesses.
• Activities in the basements - implementation of waste separation, treatment of waste at source (organic composting), selling waste for reuse and recycling, upgrading electrical systems, energy management, fat separation for all food businesses, use of energy from waste, energy storage for potentially transitioning to full renewable energy Cultivation and conservation of habitat for fruit bats.

Climatic, social, community resilience center Objectives by 2028:

• Establishing a resilience center to serve local residents during climatic, national emergencies, crises, or mass disasters

Actions Taken:

• During the Iron-Swords War: public spaces were turned into centers serving the population's needs including a donation center for soldiers and families, a transportation hub and store for evacuees, a children's and families' complex was established, and a mental health and body treatment facility was set up
• Ensuring the financial stability of the businesses in the Center
• The participation of businesses in projects during a crisis, fostering connections between the local community and evacuees for businesses that enables mutual support
• Cooperation with the Tel Aviv Municipality, state institutions, businesses, non-profit organization and activating thousands of volunteers

General Development Objectives by 2028: 

• Initiating urban development plans and obtaining construction permits for additional building additions