Environmental Min., NGO launch campaign to combat use of plastic
The campaign calls on the Israeli public to leave the disposable tableware at home and to transition to reusable products that will keep Israel's beaches clean and plastic-free.
By TOBIAS SIEGAL"Disposable plastic - Not on my beach!" (Credit: Environmental Protection Ministry )
The Environmental Protection Ministry and EcoOcean, a non-profit organization, released on Wednesday an informational campaign calling on the public to reduce their use of disposable plastic and keep Israel's beaches clean.The campaign, titled "Disposable plastic - Not on my beach!," calls on the Israeli public to leave the disposable tableware at home and to instead use reusable products that will keep Israel's beaches clean and plastic-free.As part of the campaign, the governmental advertising department released a video that depicts the situation of beaches, aimed at reminding the public to clean up after themselves and show the consequences that littering on beaches might have on future generations.The video shows a child building a sand castle and using objects around him to decorate it. Among the things he uses are cigarette butts, disposable dishes, bottles, plastic bags and more "colorful" examples of trash commonly left behind on beaches by visitors.Marine litter, referring to the trash left behind on beaches and eventually reaching Earth's oceans, is a growing global issue that has affected the entire world's beaches. According to several estimates, around 8 million tons of plastic makes its way to seas and oceans every year.Up to 90% of the marine litter produced in Israel was found to be made of non-degradable plastic. Moreover, the concentration of plastic residue in Israel's seas is ten times higher on average than that found in the Middle East. It's higher than the global average as well. At this rate, by the year 2050, the world's oceans will contain more plastic residue than living fish.The Environmental Protection Ministry has finally decided to crack down on the issue, with the year 2020 seeing the largest budget boosts designated for dealing with the situation than ever before. The ministry has allocated an unprecedented budget of NIS 10.6 million that will go to local authorities that have undeclared beaches under their jurisdiction. Most of the money will be used for cleaning and for promoting the use of reusable dishes and other products instead of disposable plastic products.Environmental Protection Minister Gila Gamliel emphasized the personal responsibility required from everyone if the campaign is to be successful."Today we launch an informational campaign for the public that demonstrates the extent of the problem, and calls on all of us to keep our beaches clean and plastic-free. As parents, It's hard to imagine a reality like the one presented in the video of a child playing with cigarette butts, disposable dishes or garbage that was left on the beach, but unfortunately, it happens," Gamliel said.
"The Environmental Protection Ministry is leading a significant change in public beaches with a verity of actions meant to reduce marine litter in Israel. Especially now, when public beaches are the public's only escape, a personal sense of responsibility is required by each and every one of us to not arrive with disposable plastic and to leave the beaches clean for ourselves and for our children."