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Updated: 16/02/2010
Israel's original Deposit Law on Beverage Containers came into force on October 1st, 2001. The law covered all beverage containers which are larger than 100 milliliters and smaller than 1.5 liters. Consumers paid a 25 agorot deposit on each beverage container they bought, which was reclaimed when the empty container was returned. As a result of a Ministry of Environmental Protection initiative, the amended law raises the deposit to 30 agorot and applies responsibility for the collection and recycling of beverage containers, including those1.5 liters and up, on manufacturers and importers. The amendment came into effect on February 9, 2010. The law has three main objectives: - To improve cleanliness and reduce litter;
- To reduce waste quantities and landfill volume;
- To encourage recycling and reuse of beverage containers.
A Recycling Corporation (Drink Containers Collection Corporation Ltd.) was set up under the original Deposit Law. This non-profit corporation was responsible for the logistics of the system: purchasing and placing the automatic machines for the collection of plastic, metal and glass containers in major supermarket chains throughout the country, collecting the containers from supermarkets and grocery stores, and transporting the containers to recycling facilities. The corporation was financed by the difference between the deposit paid by the public and the refunds which are redeemed. Between October 2001, when the law first came into force, and December 2008, a total of 2.4 billion beverage containers were collected for recycling with the following return rates: 2.8% in 2001 and 35.4% in 2002, going up to 66.1% in 2008. In 2008, some 423 million small beverage containers were collected under law. In addition, some 127 million large beverage containers were voluntarily collected in 2008 by means of 8,000 collection "cages" in local authorities throughout Israel, constituting 18% of the total number of bottles in the market. The collection rate for multi-use beverage containers (0.5 liter glass containers for malt beer and beer) stood at 93% in 2008. Until February 2010, the Deposit Law applied to less than half of the beverage containers marketed in Israel (about 640 million small containers). It did not relate to containers larger than 1.5 liters - about 740 million. Therefore, the Ministry of Environmental Protection proposed the amendment to the law to overcome its shortcomings, which was approved in second and third readings by the Israel Knesset on February 2, 2010. Although the larger bottles will not be subject to deposit, producers and importers will be responsible for their collection and recycling. Beverage Containers in Israel: Facts and Figures for 2008 | Beverage Containers under 1.5 Liters | Beverage Containers above 1.5 Liters | Sales in 2008 (million containers) | 640 | 740 | Weight (in tons) | 22,400 | 26,000 | % of weight of household waste | 0.49 | 0.52 | Volume (cubic meters) | 320,000 | 1,110,000 | % of landfill volume of household waste | 6.4 | 22.2 |
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