Israel is a world leader in plastic waste

Plastic is everywhere - in stores, in homes, in the sea and on beaches. And in Israel, disposable cups, plates and cutlery are a household staple in many homes. It’s part of the culture, and unfortunately, it’s part of nature as well, Ynet News reported.

Every year, Israelis spend more than $500 million on plasticware. And despite environmental and health concerns, the first item on the agenda of newly instated Finance Minister Bezalel Smotrich was to make single-use plastic cheaper, fulfilling a campaign promise to the ultra-Orthodox community in Israel.

Studies repeatedly place Israelis among the top world leaders in use of disposable plastic per capita - using nearly five times more per person compared to EU residents, according to a statement by the Ministry of Environmental Protection.

In late 2021, Israel’s previous government introduced a tax on single-use plastic ware in an attempt to drive down the country’s plastic waste. But apart from the environmental factors, the use of disposable plastic in Israel has a significant cultural and political component as well.

The higher prices on disposable plastic products hit the pockets of many Israelis, causing a 50 percent drop in the use of such plastic, according to the Ministry of Environmental Protection.

Plastic waste is the biggest pollution problem on Israel’s beaches. Between 70 to 90 percent of the waste found in the sea and sand is disposable plastic. And the beaches of Israel, those in and around Tel Aviv in particular, are among the most polluted by plastic in the whole Mediterranean region.