From 1 January 2026, the Sale of Certain Plastic Items Intended for Food Contact Will Be Banned
At the initiative of the Ministry of Environmental Protection and Agriculture, the Government of Georgia has amended Resolution No. 304 of 8 June 2022, “On the Approval of Plastic Materials and Articles Intended to Come into Contact with Food.”
The amendment, which enters into force on 1 January 2026, introduces a ban on the use of certain plastic items intended for food contact.
The manufacture (except for production intended for export), import, and placing on the market of the following plastic items will be prohibited:
-
forks, knives, spoons, chopsticks
-
plates
-
drinking straws
-
stirrers for beverages
-
food containers and their lids made of expanded polystyrene (EPS)
-
cups and their lids made of expanded polystyrene (EPS)
It will also be prohibited for food service establishments to provide ready-to-eat food to consumers using single-use plastic food containers and cups.
It is important to note that the regulation does not apply to single-use plastic packaging items intended for pre-packaged food products.
The resolution provides for a transition period.
-
Plastic forks, knives, spoons, chopsticks, plates, drinking straws, stirrers, EPS food containers and lids, and EPS cups and lids that are already placed on the market before the entry into force of the resolution may continue to be sold for three months after the resolution becomes effective.
-
Food service establishments may continue using single-use plastic food containers and cups for serving ready-to-eat food for six months after the resolution becomes effective (i.e., until 1 July 2026).
Compliance with these changes to the technical regulation will be monitored, within their respective competencies, by the National Food Agency, the Environmental Supervision Department, and the Revenue Service of the Ministry of Finance of Georgia.
It is important to highlight that the production of the above-listed plastic items for export is not prohibited. A manufacturer producing plastic items intended for food contact for export purposes must notify the Environmental Supervision Department — an agency subordinate to the Ministry of Environmental Protection and Agriculture — in writing at least one month before starting production. The notification must include the start and end dates of production, the quantity of items to be manufactured, the destination export countries, and the timeframe for export.
