Ashkelon Desalination Plant. (Wikipedia)

Israel has set another record in water recycling and treatment, paving the way for water solutions sought after by many countries around the globe.

At a time when many countries are facing drought and critical water shortages, Israel now recycles nearly 90 percent of its wastewater, around four times higher than any other country in the world, according to Israel’s Minister of Strategic Affairs and Public Diplomacy Gilad Erdan.

“Today, nearly 90 percent of our wastewater is recycled,” Erdan said in an address at the first-ever Israeli Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR) conference in Tel Aviv hosted by Maala, the Jewish state’s CSR standards organization. “That’s around four times higher than any other country in the world. It is a remarkable achievement, and this benefits not only Israel. Israeli companies are helping save water around the world, from Africa to California to India.”

The conference, which was held last week, brought together leaders from Israel’s business community as well as international experts in sustainability and the CSR community to address Israel’s social and environmental innovation. Speakers and experts from companies such as Teva, Intel, 3M and the Strauss Group headlined the conference.

“Israel is innovative, creative and dynamic and has more high-tech startups per capita than anywhere else in the world,” Erdan said. “And these startups in large part are not only focused on creating high profits, but also finding ways to solve the world’s most pressing problems.”

The Israeli companies leading the way in sustainability innovation featured at the conference included Hadera Paper, the world’s most recycled and environment-friendly paper company; Netafim, drip and micro-irrigation pioneers; and Mekorot, Israel’s top agency for water management.

Israel has become a regional water empire due to its advanced desalinization plants. Its water technologies are highly sought around the world.

Last February IDE Technologies, an Israeli company that specializes in water treatment solutions, announced that its desalination plant in Ashkelon achieved a world record. In the plant’s nearly 10 years of operation, it has produced and delivered 1 billion cubic meters (m3) of high-quality drinking water.

Since it is regularly affected by droughts, Israel has prioritized the establishment of desalination plants and the development of novel and economical desalination systems.

By: JNS.org and United with Israel Staff