Large Israeli retailers provided about 474 million plastic bags to consumers in 2022, a 73% drop from 2016.
This according to a report on the implementation of Israel’s law to reduce the use of disposable plastic bags the Environmental Protection published on Monday, on the occasion of International Plastic Bag Free Day.
The law prevented the generation of bag waste in the amount of 4,156 tons in 2022, the ministry said.
The single-use plastic bags are usually used for just a few minutes, but they take hundreds of years to decompose. In the meantime, they pollute open spaces and water sources.
The law limits the distribution of single-use carrier bags by dealers without compensation and imposes a small levy on their sale. Since January 2017, large retailers are required to charge consumers for plastic bags with handles, at 0.10 shekels (around $.03) for each bag.
