The Knesset Economics Committee yesterday reduced the minimum 2006 recycling threshold of 1.5 liter bottles for ELA (the Recycling Corporation) from 85 percent to 65 percent. The committee thus accepted the claim that ELA was experiencing difficulties meeting the legal target set by the Environment Ministry and allowed the corporation to avoid a NIS 50 million fine set by law.

Committee chair Moshe Kahalon of Likud expressed bitterness ELA didn't show up to confirm claims that the demands of the law were putting the company in danger of collapse. Kahalon abstained, but both Shas MKs, Amnon Cohen and Yitzhak Vaknin, voted in favor to carry the day.

	Advertisement

Gilad Ostrovsky of the Israel Union for Environmental Defense (IUED) said yesterday the target was set in order to expand collection points, based on extensive research conducted in Israel and abroad, and not on demands by ELA. The IUED contends that were the ministry to collect the fine from ELA each year, the corporation would make more of an effort to meet the 85 percent target. If the fines were to reach a cumulative NIS 200 million, it would be possible to purchase automated machines for recycling bottles and containers and returning bottle deposits, the environmental advocate agency added.

The Environment Ministry commented that forcing ELA to pay the fine would cause it to collapse.