Ministry Shows its Teeth

Israel’s Environmental Protection Ministry has showed its regulatory teeth by imposing significant fines on 12 companies for failing to comply with the its recyclying regime, The Jerusalem Post reported.

Each of the companies found to be in violation of the Packaging Law was slapped with a fine of about 155,000 shekels, the Ministry said. The offenders had failed to cooperate with the Tamir recycling firm, as they were required.

Most Israeli businesses — including 700 manufacturers and importers — were cooperating, according to ministry officials.

The companies that received fines were 3M Israel, A.P. Romy Designs, Avshalom Regional Enterprises, Harash Y.Y.H., Mendelson Technical and Engineering Supply, Lilit Cosmetics, Mendelson–S. Bar, Matim Li Stores (1997), Negev Ceramics, Karat Israel, S.AL Technical Equipment and Hezibank Design.

In the past, residents themselves defrayed the cost of collecting packaging waste in their arnona (municipal property tax) bills. Now, the law requires the industries who generate the trash to pay for it.

“The process in which all kinds of waste will be regulated and treated and thereby likely becoming a new raw material is underway,” Environmental Protection Minister Amir Peretz said. “We will not compromise with anyone who disturbs this and his or her disregard are spokes in the wheels of the process.”

The ministry “has no intention of allowing anyone to stop” this process, Peretz vowed.

The Packaging Law has as its goal to bring packaging waste recycling up to 60 percent by 2015.

This article appeared in print on page 6 of the August 13th, 2013 edition of Hamodia.