80% reduction in plastic bag use a month after charge introduced

Israeli supermarkets have seen an 80 percent reduction in plastic bag use, a month after a law went into effect charging customers to use them, Channel 2 news reports.

The new law, which went into effect on January 1, requires supermarkets to charge 10 agorot (almost $0.04) per plastic bag.

According to the Environmental Protection Ministry, before the new law, the average Israeli used 275 plastic bags per year, which adds up to about two to three billion plastic bags across the country each year. This accounts for approximately 7% of Israel’s waste.

The law requires supermarkets to purchase the plastic bags at 10 agorot per bag, and pass that cost on to their customers. The law is only applicable to major supermarket chains. Local convenience stores and open-air markets are not required to charge customers for bags.