History

1952-1998 The Hiriya site was used as a landfill. The waste mountain reached a height of 60 meters, and spread over an area of 450,000m², with a volume of 16 million cubic meters of waste.

1998 Closing the Hiriya landfill. The rate of waste arriving at Hiriya reaches 3,000 tons a day, leading to a negative environmental impact, and the eventual decision to close the landfill.

2000 A permanent transfer station is created at Hiriya, receiving 2,800 tons of waste per day. Part of the waste is moved to different dumping sites, including Ganei Hadas, and Efeh in the Negev.

2001 Planning the rehabilitation of the mountain, and turning the waste mountain into a green park. The planning and operation of the rehabilitation is carried out with help from the Bracha Foundation, the Ministry of the Interior, and the Ministry for Environmental Protection.

A system is created to collect the biogas produced by the natural decomposition of the waste. Composed mainly of methane, this biogas is a source of green energy that can be used to create electricity, and is a clean alternative to the polluting gases that exist within the industry. The collection system pumps approximately 1,200m³ of gas per hour from 70 wells located on the mountain.

2004 An international architectural competition is held to choose landscape architects to design the rehabilitation of the mountain, and Prof. Peter Latz is chosen from 14 applicants hailing from Israel and overseas. Prof. Latz has extensive experience with projects of this type and scale all over the world.

2007 The creation of Ariel Sharon Park, the largest "green lung" of the Dan Metropolitan Area, to which visitors can come from across Israel and the world in order to enjoy the calm green landscape with its woods, fields, streams, and lakes.

2009 A good year. Soon, the most advanced recycling park in the world will be launched, using innovative recycling methods that enable us to create efficient energy, water for irrigation, organic manure, and garden furniture – all from the waste of the Dan Metropolitan Area.