Drowning in plastic bags
Israel joins global initiative to minimize usage of plastic bags as government adopts private bill to charge consumers for each bag, hoping this will nip nasty habit in the bud
Nailing nylons – About one million plastic bags are tossed away is Israel every day and another two million “recycled” bags – which we use as trash bags at home – join the waste count on a daily basis, the Environmental Protection Ministry said Monday.
A total of 3 million polluting, non-biodegradable plastic bags are being thrown or left on the street, amounting to more than one billion bags per year, and 10 million cubic feet of refuse – an amount which can easily fill up the three Azrieli Center Towers in Tel Aviv 14 times a day.
This disconcerting data was revealed by a special survey held on behalf of the ministry, aimed at reviewing what the Israeli consumer knows about the environmental damage caused by plastic bags; and how much he should pay for each bag to prevent him from wasting so many of them.
The bottom line: Only a “burning hole” in our pockets will motivate us to give up this habit and switch to reusable bags or shopping trolleys.
For over a year now, the Environmental Protection Ministry has been looking into ways to stop, or significantly reduce, the use of plastic bags; failing to formulate a solid approach.
But now that the government has adopted a private bill stating that Israelis must pay one shekel (approx. $0.29) for each plastic bag used while shopping, the ministry is changing gears.
The survey showed that the average Israeli is conscientious of protecting the environment: Some 80% of Israelis are aware that plastic bags are hazardous to the environment. However, they view the damage as “moderate,” and at least 25% of them don’t know the exact nature of it.
As far as minimizing the waste if charged per bag, about half of the participants were willing to seriously consider minimizing the use of plastic bags should they remain free; 26% said they would be willing to pay up to NIS 0.5 (about $0.15) for the pleasure; and 46% would have no problem paying NIS 0.25 ($0.07) per bag – but should the bags cost more than $0.30, over 85% will opt for an environmentally friendlier solution.
What about recycling? It’s an option, but not a feasible one. The market value of plastic bags is lower than that of plastic bottles, not to mention the fact that the price-hike in oil has increased the bags’ production costs. A better way of saving on resources and protecting the environment, from the toxins released during production, is simply using less of them.
Another environmental the government must deal with is whether to establish another carbon power station in Ashkelon, due to the dire situation the Israeli power industry is faced with and the urgent need for additional electricity. The professional opinion held by National Infrastructure Committee’s advisor David Nahmias is that the "country can afford" to establish another polluting power station since “Israel is merely a small player in the global energy market, whose actions or omissions bare no consequences on anyone.”
Despite the above, a previous survey published by “Yedioth Ahronoth” showed that Israel is rated fourth in the world in greenhouse gases being emitted by power stations, in relation to the country’s population.
