Haifa, Israel’s third largest city, will celebrate this Christmas in an eco-friendly fashion with the unveiling of a new 38-foot Christmas tree made entirely of recycled water bottles and other plastic objects donated by its residents.
The tree is on display in the city’s center.
Comprised of 5,480 recycled bottles and illuminated by LED-certified lights, the tree was created by Israeli designer Hadas Itzcovitch and her father, artist Ernest Itzcovitch, to raise awareness of environmental issues.
The "green" tree comes just in time for the 90,000 travelers from around the world expected to arrive in Israel for the holiday.
“We are excited to welcome the thousands of travelers from around the world who will arrive in Israel to celebrate Christmas,” said Haim Gutin, Israel Commissioner for Tourism, North and South America,” and who helped make 2010 the best year ever for travel to Israel.”
By David Wilkening
