Israeli Legislation.com

Packaging Treatment Regulation Law, 5771-2011

חוק להסדרת הטיפול באריזות, תשע"א-2011

Published: 2011-01-31Consolidated Hebrew text as of 2026-09-03 · Last amended 2023-11-19
Premium
Unofficial English translation — for reference only. It may contain errors or omissions and cannot be relied on as a legal text. Only the Hebrew text published in Reshumot is legally binding.More

This English text was translated from the official Hebrew using a range of translation tools, and it undergoes ongoing checks and updates. It is not a certified translation.

Despite these checks, it may contain errors, omissions, or imprecise renderings of legal terminology and cross-references, and it may not yet reflect the latest amendments. It cannot be relied upon as a legal text.

The Hebrew text as published in Reshumot (ספר החוקים) and on the Knesset website is the sole authoritative and legally binding version. In any discrepancy, the Hebrew text prevails.

This translation is provided for informational purposes only and does not constitute legal advice. For use in legal proceedings, request a certified Expert Legal Opinion.

Chapter V: Provisions regarding the Separation, Collection, Removal and Landfilling of Packaging Waste

Determination of Separation, Collection and Removal Arrangements and Obligation to Contract with a Recognised Body§

23.
(a)A person responsible for waste removal shall determine, subject to provisions under subsection (d), an arrangement regarding the separation of packaging waste from other waste within its area, and may permit, in such an arrangement, the mixing of packaging waste with waste having characteristics similar to those of packaging waste (in this Law — a packaging waste separation arrangement), as well as an arrangement regarding the collection and removal of packaging waste so separated (in this Law — a separated packaging waste collection and removal arrangement); however, nothing in the arrangements determined regarding the mixing of waste shall increase the financing of a recognised body beyond the financing obligation under section 17(a) and (b).
(b)
(1)A person responsible for waste removal shall be responsible for performing the separation of packaging waste and the collection and removal of packaging waste from its area, in accordance with the separation, collection and removal arrangements that it has determined for that purpose under subsection (a) and with the provisions under this Law;
(2)For the purpose of fulfilling its obligation as set out in paragraph (1), a person responsible for waste removal shall enter into a contract with at least one recognised body; however, nothing in the provisions of this subsection shall prevent a person responsible for waste removal from also contracting with a manufacturer or with an importer who has received an exemption from the obligation to contract under section 9(e), for the purpose of carrying out the collection and removal of the packaging waste of the packaged products or service packaging that the manufacturer or importer manufactured or imported.
(c)A person responsible for waste removal shall transfer the packaging waste collected from its area in accordance with its obligations under this section to the recognised body with which it has contracted, without additional consideration beyond the cost of financing as set out in section 17(a) or (b), as the case may be.
(d)
(1)The Minister may prescribe criteria regarding separation, collection and removal arrangements, and may prohibit, in such arrangements, the mixing of packaging waste with waste having characteristics similar to those of packaging waste;
(2)In prescribing provisions under this subsection, the Minister shall consider, inter alia, whether there is a risk of significant harm to the quantity and quality of packaging waste and waste having characteristics similar to those of packaging waste that was recovered on the eve of the commencement of this Law;
(3)Regulations under this subsection with respect to local authorities shall be determined with the consent of the Minister of the Interior.
(e)
(1)The Minister, on the recommendation of the Prices Committee and with the approval of the Minister of Finance, may prescribe prices for contracting with a recognised body for the purpose of implementing separation, collection and removal arrangements under the provisions of subsection (b);
(2)The Prices Committee shall consist of eight members, being four employees of the Ministry of Finance appointed by the Director General of the Ministry of Finance, one of whom shall be the chairperson, an employee of the Ministry of Industry, Trade and Employment appointed by the Director General of the Ministry of Industry, Trade and Employment, an employee of the Ministry of the Interior appointed by the Director General of the Ministry of the Interior, and two employees of the Ministry appointed by the Director General of the Ministry;
(3)Within 90 days from the day on which the Director first recognised a recognised body under section 12, the Prices Committee shall submit a recommendation to the Minister as set out in paragraph (1).
(f)The powers vested in the Minister of the Interior with respect to by-laws under section 258 of the Municipalities Ordinance, section 22 of the Local Councils Ordinance, and section 14 of the Municipal Associations Law, 5715-1955, shall be vested in the Minister with respect to a by-law regarding separation, collection and removal arrangements determined by a person responsible for waste removal that is a local authority in accordance with provisions under this section.

Order regarding the Determination of Separation, Collection and Removal Arrangements or Contracting with a Recognised Body§

24.
(a)If a person responsible for waste removal has not determined separation, collection and removal arrangements or has not contracted with at least one recognised body, in accordance with the provisions under section 23, the Director may, after consulting with the Director of the Local Government Administration at the Ministry of the Interior, order that person, by an Order, to determine such arrangements or to contract with a recognised body, as the case may be, in accordance with the provisions to be set out in the Order, including the manner, the date and the price for determining the arrangements or for contracting as aforesaid; the provisions of the Order under this subsection shall be determined subject to the Minister's provisions under section 23(d) and (e), insofar as these have been determined; if the Director of the Local Government Administration at the Ministry of the Interior has not responded to the Director within 14 days from the date on which the Director approached that Director under this section, the Director shall be deemed to have fulfilled the said consultation obligation.
(b)The provisions of section 23(f) shall apply with respect to a by-law regarding separation, collection and removal arrangements determined by a person responsible for waste removal that is a local authority in accordance with provisions under this section.

Prohibition of Littering, Collection or Removal of Packaging Waste otherwise than in Accordance with Separation, Collection and Removal Arrangements§

25.
(a)Where a person responsible for waste removal has determined a packaging waste separation arrangement, no person shall litter packaging waste within the area of the person responsible for waste removal except in accordance with that arrangement.
(b)Where a person responsible for waste removal has determined a separated packaging waste collection and removal arrangement, no person shall collect packaging waste within the area of the person responsible for waste removal or remove packaging waste from that area, except in accordance with that arrangement.

Collection and Removal of Packaging Waste from a Business§

26.
(a)In this section —

"business" means a place in which packaging waste accumulates in the course of work or business;

"business owner" means the holder of a permit or licence required under any law for the operation or management of the business or for engaging in the business, or a person who is under an obligation to obtain a permit or licence for the purpose of such operation or management.

(b)Notwithstanding the provisions of this Chapter, a business owner may contract with a recognised body regarding the collection and removal of packaging waste that accumulates at the business, in whole or in part, in accordance with the conditions of recognition of that recognised body.
(c)A business owner who has contracted with a recognised body as set out in subsection (b) shall maintain a full and detailed record of the weight of the packaging waste of the packaged products or service packaging that has accumulated at the business and is designated for removal, and of the types of material referred to in section 6 of which the packaging waste is composed, and shall provide this information to the recognised body upon its request.
(d)The Director or a person authorised by the Director for that purpose may inspect the records at the business as set out in subsection (c) and obtain a true copy thereof, and may also require a business owner to furnish any information relating to the subject matter of this section; where a business owner is required to furnish information as aforesaid, that owner shall furnish it at the time and in the manner specified in the requirement.
(e)The collection and removal from a business under this section shall be carried out at a frequency and in a manner that ensure regular collection and removal and prevent the accumulation of packaging waste, and subject to any law.
(f)With respect to packaging waste that has not been collected by a recognised body, or at any time when the contract with the recognised body is not in force, the prohibitions set out in section 25 shall apply to the business owner.

Prohibition on the Landfilling of Packaging Waste§

27.
(a)From the 4th of Tevet 5780 (1 January 2020), no person shall landfill packaging waste, including at a place used for the removal and disposal of waste.
(b)Notwithstanding the provisions of subsection (a), the Director may, with the Minister's approval, authorise in writing the landfilling of packaging waste at a particular place, if satisfied, in specific cases, that there are no reasonable recycling or recovery alternatives; such authorisation shall be granted for a period not exceeding one year.

Need to cite this law in a foreign court?

Eli Shimony Israeli Attorneys-at-Law provides certified Expert Legal Opinions on Israeli law within 24–48 hours, accepted by courts worldwide.

Contact Us →

Chapter VI: Inspectors

28.§

(Repealed — תשע״א)

29.§

(Repealed — תשע״א)

30.§

(Repealed — תשע״א)

Need to cite this law in a foreign court?

Eli Shimony Israeli Attorneys-at-Law provides certified Expert Legal Opinions on Israeli law within 24–48 hours, accepted by courts worldwide.

Contact Us →

Chapter VII: Penalties

Penalties§

31.
(a)A person who has done any of the following is liable to a fine as set out in section 61(a)(2) of the Penal Law, 5737-1977 (in this Law — the Penal Law), and if that person is a corporation — to double that fine:
(1)littered packaging waste within the area of a person responsible for waste removal otherwise than in accordance with the packaging waste separation arrangement determined by the person responsible for waste removal, contrary to the provisions under section 25(a);
(2)collected or removed packaging waste within the area of a person responsible for waste removal otherwise than in accordance with the separated packaging waste collection and removal arrangement determined by the person responsible for waste removal, contrary to the provisions under section 25(b).
(b)A person who has done any of the following is liable to a fine as set out in section 61(a)(3) of the Penal Law, and if that person is a corporation — to double that fine:
(1)manufactured packaging otherwise than in accordance with the provisions prescribed by the Minister regarding source reduction measures, contrary to the provisions under section 4;
(2)manufactured or marketed a packaged product or service packaging, or sold a packaged product or a product in service packaging, without their being marked in accordance with the provisions under section 5;
(3)did not submit a report to the Director or did not furnish information to the Director or to a person authorised by the Director, contrary to the provisions under sections 7 or 18;
(4)did not maintain a full and detailed record of the matters included in the reporting obligation under sections 7 or 18, or did not permit the Director or a person authorised by the Director to inspect such record or to obtain a true copy thereof, contrary to the provisions under sections 8 or 19;
(5)did not contract with a recognised body, contrary to the provisions under section 9(a);
(6)did not maintain a full and detailed record of the information referred to in section 7(a)(1), or did not permit the Director or a person authorised by the Director to inspect such record or to obtain a true copy thereof, contrary to the provisions of section 9(c);
(7)did not pay a levy that the person was liable to pay, contrary to the provisions under section 11;
(8)did not comply with a condition prescribed by the Director in a recognition under the provisions of section 12(d);
(9)did not act to implement a separated packaging waste collection and removal arrangement within the area of a person responsible for waste removal with whom the person contracted, in accordance with the provisions under section 17(e);
(10)did not determine separation, collection and removal arrangements in accordance with any of the following —
(a)the provisions under section 23(a);
(b)an Order of the Director under section 24(a);
(11)did not contract with at least one recognised body, contrary to the provisions of section 23(b)(2).
(c)A person who has done any of the following is liable to six months' imprisonment or a fine as set out in section 61(a)(4) of the Penal Law, and if that person is a corporation — to double that fine:
(1)did not meet the recycling targets under the provisions of section 6;
(2)landfilled packaging waste, contrary to the provisions of section 27;
(3)disclosed information or made use thereof, contrary to the provisions under section 52(b).
(d)A person responsible for waste removal shall not bear criminal liability for an offence under subsection (c)(2) if that person has proved that the following conditions are met and that reasonable measures were taken to prevent the landfilling of packaging waste, including determining separation, collection and removal arrangements, and taking supervisory and enforcement measures to ensure their implementation:
(1)the packaging waste was landfilled, without that person's knowledge, together with other waste and constitutes a minimal part of all the waste that was landfilled;
(2)the packaging waste was littered together with the other waste, before it was landfilled, by a person who is not that person's employee and who does not provide services to that person in relation to waste.

Liability of an Office Holder in a Corporation§

32.
(a)An office holder in a corporation is obliged to supervise and do everything possible to prevent the commission of offences under section 31 by the corporation or by any of its employees; a person who breaches this obligation is liable to a fine as set out in section 61(a)(3) of the Penal Law.
(b)Where an offence under this Law has been committed by a corporation or by any of its employees, it shall be presumed that an office holder in the corporation has breached the office holder's obligation under this section, unless that person has proved that everything possible was done to fulfil that obligation.
(c)In this section, "office holder in a corporation" means an active director in a corporation, a partner, excluding a limited partner, or any other position holder in the corporation who is responsible on behalf of the corporation for the area in which the offence was committed, and — with respect to offences under paragraphs (1), (3), (5), (6), (9), (10) or (11) of section 31(b) and offences under section 31(c) — also a director.

Fine Rates§

33.

Notwithstanding the provisions of section 221(b) of the Criminal Procedure Law [Consolidated Version], 5742-1982, the Minister of Justice may, with the consent of the Minister, prescribe a fine rate exceeding the amount of the fine prescribed in that section, for an offence under this Law that has been designated as a fixed fine offence and also for an additional or continuing fixed fine offence committed by the same person, having regard to the type of offence and the circumstances of its commission, provided that the amount of the fine shall not exceed ten per cent of the maximum fine prescribed for that offence.

Need to cite this law in a foreign court?

Eli Shimony Israeli Attorneys-at-Law provides certified Expert Legal Opinions on Israeli law within 24–48 hours, accepted by courts worldwide.

Contact Us →

Chapter VIII: Financial Sanction

Financial Sanction§

34.
(a)Where a person has breached a provision of the provisions under this Law as detailed below, the Director may impose on that person a financial sanction under the provisions of this Chapter, in the amount of NIS 93,140, and if that person is a corporation — in the amount of NIS 186,290:
(1)breached the provisions of section 9(d); for this purpose, it shall be presumed that a manufacturer or importer who has fulfilled the obligations under sections 7(d) and 9(a) to (c) has not breached the provisions of section 9(d), unless proved otherwise;
(2)did not enter into a contract with a manufacturer or importer who approached that person, contrary to the provisions of section 16(a);
(3)did not enter into a contract with a person responsible for waste removal who approached that person, contrary to the provisions of section 17(d);
(4)littered packaging waste within the area of a person responsible for waste removal otherwise than in accordance with the packaging waste separation arrangement determined by the person responsible for waste removal, contrary to the provisions under section 25(a);
(5)collected or removed packaging waste from the area of a person responsible for waste removal otherwise than in accordance with the separated packaging waste collection and removal arrangement, contrary to the provisions under section 25(b);
(6)breached a provision from among the provisions set out in section 31(b), except for section 31(b)(10)(b) and (11).
(b)If a person responsible for waste removal has not contracted with at least one recognised body regarding the separation of packaging waste and the collection and removal of separated packaging waste from its area, contrary to the provisions of section 23(b)(2), or has not determined an arrangement in accordance with an Order of the Director under section 24(a), the Director may impose on that person a financial sanction under the provisions of this Chapter in the amount of NIS 620,960.
(c)Where a person has landfilled packaging waste, contrary to the provisions of section 27, the Director may impose on that person a financial sanction under the provisions of this Chapter in the amount of NIS 280,670, and if that person is a corporation — in the amount of NIS 561,350.
(d)Where a manufacturer, importer or recognised body has not met the recycling targets under section 6, the Director may impose on that person a financial sanction under the provisions of this Chapter in the amount of NIS 3,100 for each tonne of packaging waste in respect of which recognised recycling was not carried out in accordance with the said targets; however, where a person has not met both the recycling targets by type of material and the overall recycling target, a financial sanction shall be imposed only for the breach of the overall recycling target.
(e)Notwithstanding the provisions of subsection (d), in the years 2011 and 2012, the amount of the financial sanction that the Director may impose for each tonne of packaging waste in respect of which recognised recycling was not carried out in accordance with the recycling targets under section 6 shall be as follows:
(1)in 2011 — NIS 1,500;
(2)in 2012 — NIS 2,040.
(f)In subsections (a)(4) and (5) and (c), "packaging waste" means packaging waste generated as a result of the activity of a corporation or as a result of the activity of a business or occupation of an individual, excluding an occupation of an individual carried on in a residential apartment used by that individual.

Notice of Intention to Impose Liability§

35.
(a)Where the Director has reasonable grounds to believe that a person has breached a provision of the provisions under this Law, as set out in section 34 (in this Chapter — a violator), and intends to impose a financial sanction on that person under that section, the Director shall give the violator notice of the intention to impose a financial sanction (in this Chapter — a notice of intention to impose liability).
(b)In a notice of intention to impose liability, the Director shall state, inter alia, the following:
(1)the act or omission (in this Chapter — the act) constituting the breach;
(2)the amount of the financial sanction and the period for its payment;
(3)the violator's right to submit arguments before the Director under the provisions of section 36;
(4)the rate of the addition to the financial sanction for a continuing breach or a repeated breach under the provisions of section 38.

Right to Be Heard§

36.

A violator to whom a notice of intention to impose liability has been given under the provisions of section 35 may submit arguments, in writing, before the Director, regarding the intention to impose a financial sanction and regarding its amount, within 30 days from the date of service of the notice.

Decision of the Director and Demand for Payment§

37.
(a)Where the violator has submitted arguments before the Director under the provisions of section 36, the Director shall decide, after considering the arguments that were submitted, whether to impose a financial sanction on the violator, and may reduce the amount of the financial sanction under the provisions of section 39.
(b)
(1)Where the Director has decided under the provisions of subsection (a) to impose a financial sanction on the violator, the Director shall give the violator a demand to pay the financial sanction (in this Chapter — a demand for payment); in the demand for payment, the Director shall state, inter alia, the reasons for the decision, the updated amount of the financial sanction and the period for its payment;
(2)Where the Director has decided under the provisions of subsection (a) not to impose a financial sanction on the violator, the Director shall give the violator notice to that effect.
(c)Where the violator has not requested to submit arguments under the provisions of section 36 within 30 days from the day on which the notice of intention to impose liability was given, that notice shall, upon the expiry of those 30 days, be deemed a demand for payment given to the violator on that date.

Continuing Breach and Repeated Breach§

38.
(a)In the case of a continuing breach, one fiftieth of the financial sanction shall be added thereto for each day on which the breach continues.
(b)In the case of a repeated breach, an amount equal to the financial sanction that could have been imposed had it been a first breach shall be added to the financial sanction; for this purpose, "repeated breach" means a breach of a provision from among the provisions under this Law as set out in section 34, within two years of a previous breach of the same provision in respect of which a financial sanction was imposed on the violator or in respect of which the violator was convicted.

Reduced Amounts§

39.
(a)The Director may not impose a financial sanction in an amount lower than the amounts prescribed in this Chapter, except in accordance with the provisions of subsection (b).
(b)The Minister, with the consent of the Minister of Justice, may prescribe cases, circumstances and considerations by reason of which it shall be possible to reduce the amount of the financial sanction prescribed in section 34, at rates to be prescribed.

Updated Amount of the Financial Sanction§

40.
(a)The financial sanction shall be according to its updated amount on the day of service of the demand for payment, and with respect to a violator who has not submitted arguments before the Director as set out in section 36 — on the day of service of the notice of intention to impose liability; where an appeal has been filed against a demand for payment and payment of the financial sanction has been stayed under section 43(c), the amount of the financial sanction shall be according to its updated amount on the day of the decision on the appeal.
(b)The amount of the financial sanction as set out in section 34 shall be updated on 1 January of each year (in this subsection — the update date), in accordance with the rate of increase of the index known on the update date compared to the index that was known on the update date in the preceding year, and with respect to the first update date — compared to the index that was known on the day of commencement of this Law; the said amount shall be rounded to the nearest amount that is a multiple of NIS 10; for this purpose, "index" means the Consumer Price Index published by the Central Bureau of Statistics.
(c)The Director shall publish in Reshumot (Official Gazette) a notice of the updated amount of the financial sanction under subsection (b).

Time for Payment of the Financial Sanction§

41.

The financial sanction shall be paid within 30 days from the day of service of the demand for payment as set out in section 37.

Shekel Interest and Late Payment Fees§

42.

Where a financial sanction has not been paid on time, shekel interest and late payment fees shall be added thereto for the period of the delay, until its payment, and the provisions of the Interest and Linkage Law shall apply, with the necessary modifications.

Appeal to the Magistrate's Court§

43.
(a)An appeal against a demand for payment may be filed to the Magistrate's Court, within 30 days from the day of service of the demand on the violator.
(b)The filing of an appeal under this section shall not stay the payment of the financial sanction, unless the Director has consented thereto or the court has ordered otherwise.
(c)Where the court has decided to allow an appeal filed under this section, after the financial sanction has been paid in accordance with the provisions of this Chapter, the amount paid shall be refunded together with shekel interest from the day of its payment until the day of its refund, and the provisions of the Interest and Linkage Law shall apply with respect to such interest, with the necessary modifications.

Publication Regarding the Imposition of a Financial Sanction§

44.
(a)Where a financial sanction has been imposed pursuant to the provisions of this Chapter, the Administrator shall publish on the Ministry's website the following particulars, in a manner that ensures transparency with respect to the exercise of his discretion in making a decision regarding the imposition of the financial sanction:
(1)the fact of the imposition of the financial sanction and its amount, the nature of the breach on account of which it was imposed and the circumstances thereof, the rate of reduction of the amount of the financial sanction — if it was reduced pursuant to the provisions of section 39 — and the circumstances on account of which it was so reduced;
(2)particulars regarding the occupation of the violator and the name of the business;
(3)the name of the violator, unless the violator is an individual; however, the Administrator may publish the name of a violator who is an individual if the Administrator considered that this is necessary for the purpose of warning the public, and the financial sanction was imposed on account of a breach connected with the provision of a service to the public by the violator.
(b)The provisions of section 9 of the Freedom of Information Law, 5758-1998, shall apply with respect to a publication under this section, with the necessary modifications.
(c)A publication as referred to in subsection (a) in relation to a financial sanction imposed on a corporation shall be for a period of four years, and in relation to a financial sanction imposed on an individual — two and a half years.
(d)Where a financial sanction has been imposed pursuant to the provisions of this Chapter and an appeal has been filed against it, the Administrator shall publish the fact of the filing of the appeal and its outcome.
(e)The Minister may prescribe additional ways of publishing the particulars referred to in paragraphs (1) to (3) of subsection (a).

Preservation of Criminal Liability§

45.
(a)Payment of a financial sanction shall not derogate from criminal liability for a breach of a provision under this Law, as referred to in section 31.
(b)Where an indictment has been filed against a violator for a breach of a provision under this Law, as referred to in section 31, the Administrator shall not take proceedings against that violator under this Chapter, and if the violator has paid a financial sanction — the amount paid shall be returned to the violator together with shekel interest from the day of its payment until the day of its return, and the provisions of the Interest and Price Linkage Law shall apply with respect to such interest, with the necessary modifications.

Need to cite this law in a foreign court?

Eli Shimony Israeli Attorneys-at-Law provides certified Expert Legal Opinions on Israeli law within 24–48 hours, accepted by courts worldwide.

Contact Us →

Read the entire law on one page — continuous text, no page breaks, plus PDF downloads.