'Greta-shaming' trends in Israel as office workers use Thunberg's angry pics to persuade colleagues to avoid plastic
Teen activist Greta Thunberg's photos are being used in workplaces across Israel to shame employees against using kitchenware made of plastic.
According to a report by Haaretz reporter Allison Kaplan Sommer, black-and-white cutouts of a judgmental-looking Thunberg have been placed on top of office supplies such as disposable cups, plastic plates, and utensils, in various establishments across Tel Aviv, all in a bid to make employees aware of the growing threat of climate change.
In a movement that has since come to be known as "Greta-shaming," scowling pictures of the teen activist are making rounds on the internet, encouraging people of Israel to reduce the use of disposable items, which is difficult for the citizens of the Middle Eastern country, especially since they are used to kosher and are resistant to the global trend opposing their use.
The blanket ban on plastic items has already begun in the city of Tel Aviv as both IKEA Israel and SodaStream said recently they would stop selling products made out of disposable plastic. Public schools in the city have also followed suit.
However, other governmental organizations like the Israeli army, have been more resistant to getting rid of paper and plastic.
Sommer said the trend of 'Greta-shaming' had also started in her own workplace as photos of the Swedish teenager could be found peeking out from behind the disposable forks in the lunch counter.
However, the teen's poses in the photos used in the reporter's office were still nothing compared to the ones used in the Associated Press office in Jerusalem, where the angriest photos of Thunberg were found between the paper cups and plastic stirrers, accompanied by the message “HOW DARE YOU!" - an obvious tribute to her riveting speech at the United Nations assembly held in New York, back in September.