Adam Teva V’Din has drafted new legislation to reduce the volume of plastic waste in Israel. Based on similar measures applied in the European Union to limit the production of consumer goods made of single-use plastic, the bill will mandate phase-out of plastic items for which there exists a non-plastic alternative.
The bill will apply to everyday items like plastic drinking straw, plastic cotton ear buds, etc., and other small plastic goods that are often found on streets, parks and beaches. These items are particularly harmful to birds, fish and other wildlife.
Under the proposed law, the Ministry of Environmental Protection will classify SUP products as ‘replaceable’ and to fix phase-out deadlines. The Ministry will also keep track of technological improvements in this category of products so as to identify preferred alternatives and further eliminate SUP items from the environment.
Next target for regulation
Israelis are among the world’s greatest consumers of disposable plastic dinnerware. We’re working on additional legislation that will ban the free handout of plastic cutlery and plates, etc. in the take-out food industry.