By SHARON UDASIN
The Knesset approved in its first reading on Monday night an electronic waste bill initiated by the Environmental Protection Ministry and Adam Teva V'Din (Israel Union for Environmental Defense). The bill will require manufacturers and importers of electronic goods to recycle 50 percent of the total weight of electronic equipment they sell annually, and will require that manufacturers and importers of batteries recycle 25 to 35% worth of their products, depending on the type of batteries sold. As of the year 2020, depositing electronics that have not been recycled or reused in landfills will be considered illegal."Televisions, refrigerators or computers that are thrown out damage the health and environment of us all," said Environmental Protection Minister Gilad Erdan, in a statement released by his office. In 2010 alone, 85,000 tons of electronic waste ended up in landfills alone, the ministry said.Merriam-Webster selects 'menorah' as Word of the Day
