Three prominent women technologists – Galit Sasson, Chief Operational Engineer at Mekorot’s Shafdan Wastewater Treatment Plant, Dr. Rotem Shemesh, Head of R&D and Customer Service at Carmel Olefins (part of Bazan Group), and Inna Braverman, Co-Founder & CEO, Eco Wave Power Ltd. – participated in a panel discussion at the Jerusalem Post Women Leaders Summit at the Google for Startups Campus in Tel Aviv on Wednesday evening.
The use of recycled water has also presented additional benefits, she explained. Shafdan treats the water with a soil aquifer treatment that reaches the aquifer, is driven through wells, and reaches Israel’s southern region, where it is used for agricultural purposes. Sasson also noted that Shafdan produces 70% of its electricity through the bacteria in the wastewater, making it a sustainable way to operate its facilities. Finally, she said, Shafdan will soon be embarking on a program to extract nutrients from treated effluence and create fertilizer, which will be sold as an industrial product.
Innovative Solutions: Green Polymers and Clean Energy
Shemesh described the challenge of solving the plastic waste issue with green polymers. These are plastics designed for better end-of-life options, including easier recyclability, biodegradability, and compostability.