After a long debate regarding the details of the bill to eliminate plastic bags, understandings were reached regarding the pricing of the bags for consumers: Economy Minister Naftali Bennett and the Minister of Environmental Protection, Amir Peretz, agreed that the levy on each bag would initially be 30 agorot, would decrease after two years to 20 agorot, and finally, after four years, would be set at 10 agorot. Minister Bennett will now withdraw the appeal he filed against the approval of the law by the Ministerial Committee for Legislation.
The proposal itself stipulates that consumers will pay the levy in question for each bag, and instead of disposable bags, retail chains will distribute reusable baskets to the general public for a limited period and free of charge. Retail chains will not be able to sell a tank top bag for less than the levy - part of which will be directed to aid plastic bag manufacturers. On the other hand, the bag manufacturers' forum claims that the law will harm the local plastic bag manufacturing industry, and will not necessarily bring ecological benefits as is commonly said.
Minister of Economy, Naftali Bennett"There is no dispute about the importance of the plastic bag law, but we demanded that it be implemented without disproportionately harming the consumer. In the agreement we reached with the Minister of Environmental Protection, the amount of the levy was reduced, as we demanded in the appeal, to 10 agorot. I believe that in every decision we make as a government and as legislators, reducing the burden of the cost of living should be at the forefront of our minds, and that is what I did here as well.".
Want more news, videos and stories? Join the Haredim 10 WhatsApp channel >>
Minister of Environmental Protection, MK Amir Peretz"The use of tank bags has become an addiction that has become a dangerous and polluting dependency. Now the entire government is united to eradicate the threat of bags and to place Israel on a par with the most advanced countries in the field. I am sensitive to the claims of the bag manufacturers in Israel and will ensure that they are repaired so that no harm is caused to them and they will be part of the answer in the new market that will be created.".
Data from the Ministry of Environmental Protection shows that the average Israeli consumes about 275 plastic bags per year, and in total, about 2.2 billion bags are consumed in Israel annually.
