Really outrageous: why do we keep paying a shekel for a bag?

A report on Channel 14 criticizes the charge of one shekel for plastic bags in stores, especially during the November shopping season. According to the Ministry of Environmental Protection, about 524 million plastic bags were sold in Israel in 2025. The report claims that the recurring payment accumulates to a significant amount for consumers and questions why chains charge a shekel even for large purchases.

A report on Channel 14 criticizes the charge of one shekel for plastic bags in Israeli stores, particularly during the November shopping season. According to the Ministry of Environmental Protection, about 524 million single-use plastic bags were sold in Israel in 2025, an average of over 1.4 million per day. Data from the Sheba company shows that in November 2025, credit card spending totaled 49.621 billion shekels, an increase of 11.8% compared to the previous year. The report argues that although a shekel seems negligible, the recurring payment accumulates to a significant amount for consumers, especially during the sales period including Shopping IL, 11.11, Black Friday, and Cyber Monday. It notes that the 2017 bag law requires large food retailers to charge at least 10 agorot, but other stores can set their own price. The report questions why chains charge a shekel for a bag even on large purchases, calling it 'extortion' of consumers.