Nationwide Celebrate Israeli Recycling Day • Artist Nirit Levev-Packer demonstrates in practice how to turn empty packaging and garbage into beautiful artwork

Today is Israeli Recycling Day. All over the country mark the day through special ceremonies, lectures and activities on recycling and sustainability.

As every year, the Tamir Packaging Recycling Corporation published the Index of Recycling Cities in Israel. In the major cities category, it was Givatayim who placed first with an average collection of 330 grams of net packaging per week for the family, with an average packing weight of about 20 grams. Tel Aviv picked second place in this index, and thanks to the strict separation of packaging for recycling of the residents of Herzliya, their city won third place.

The President's House marked the important day. President Reuben Rivlin hosted the heads of municipalities and winners with the same excellence in recycling for 2019. In his speech, the President congratulated the audience on "Happy Recycling Day", and expressed hope that "more and more residents will join the Orange Revolution and bring Israeli society to a greener, more positive place. , Which protects our land from unnecessary and polluting landfill for the establishment of a circular economy in Israel. "

For artist Nirit Levev-Packer, recycling is not something that marks one day a year, nor once a day when sorting out trash, but a way of life and career. Heart-packer takes materials from all over, turning them into beautiful sculptures. The message in her work is understandable: any waste can be recycled one way or another and any material can become a real work of art, if only thought out of the box.

Any material can become a real work of art // Photo: Courtesy of Nirit Levev-Packer

Dog made of old watches // Photo: Courtesy of Nirit Levev-Packer

Screws, bearings, fasteners, old bicycle chains and toys are just a small part of the variety of materials it makes. In her hands the hard materials become vivid, and often gentle, soft characters, compared to the material from which they were created.

One of the most recognizable works by Levev Packer last tens of thousands last May. A huge performance in the form of Eurovision winner Neta Barzilai was presented at the Eurovision Village in Tel Aviv, one of the most memorable works of the week packed with events. According to the winning song "TOY", the entire sculpture created a heart-packer of toys.

Nirit Levev-Packer and the sculpture in the image of Neta Barzilai // Photo: Yossi Zeliger

On the occasion of Recycling Day 2019, the artist collaborated with L'Oreal, after L'Oreal CEO Eli Sagiv declared the company's offices as offices without plastic starting in 2020. "A successful company is measured not only in its business performance, but also in its positive social and environmental impact. It produces, "Sagiv said." At L'Oreal, they have long understood and set significant goals for continually improving the environmental footprint of the company's operations. At the same time, it is important for us to be aware of the importance of recycling after using our products. Joining Nirit to esteemed artist Packer was only natural, as art can convey messages in a unique and thought-provoking way. "

As part of the collaboration, Lev-Packer created a presentation of about 500 packages of the company's products. "I enjoy creating mostly materials for injection," the artist explained. "I would like my work to raise another look at the material and raise awareness of the climate crisis that poses a danger to our existence as humanity." On her new creation, Lev-Packer said that "the work was fun and challenging, combining different materials, cosmetics, makeup and hair products, in different sizes, types and colors, which" worked out "to be a woman's face."

Various materials worked out to be a woman's face // Photo: Asaf Lev

"I connect to sustainability from the place of creation, from my connection with myself, to education, values ​​and culture of 'tossing'," the artist explained. "I enjoy creating material that nobody already wants and then I can create artwork with it. As an artist I want to raise awareness of the material, resources, consumption culture, repair instead of injection and reuse and circular use."

More than 500 packaging has become a work of art // Photo: Asaf Lev

The final work // Photo: Asaf Lev

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