New Regulation on the Sale of Beverages in Plastic Bottles is Being Developed
The First Deputy Minister of Environmental Protection and Agriculture, Nino Tandilashvili, together with Deputy Ministers Solomon Pavliashvili and Lasha Avaliani, met with representatives of the business sector.
The purpose of the meeting was to discuss the upcoming regulation on the sale of beverages bottled in plastic containers in Georgia.
“As you know, the Ministry of Environmental Protection and Agriculture is actively working on regulating plastic consumption. Establishing rules for the use of plastic bottles is the next stage of the reform. Coordinated cooperation with the sector is essential for us in order to develop a regulation that balances public health, environmental protection and economic interests,”
said Deputy Minister Solomon Pavliashvili.
As noted during the meeting, under the new initiative it is planned to ban the purchase of beverages in plastic bottles by budget-funded organizations — including ministries, agencies under their jurisdiction, state-owned enterprises, municipal bodies, and educational institutions — as well as by the hospitality sector. The purpose of the ban is to reduce plastic consumption.
Participants also focused on the transition period and timeline for introducing the new regulation. It was noted that further meetings will continue in order to discuss sector-specific needs and challenges and ensure acceptable conditions for businesses.
It was emphasized that excessive plastic consumption is one of today’s major environmental challenges. According to studies conducted in Georgia, the country uses approximately 612.5 million units of single-use plastic cups, lids, food containers, knives, forks, spoons, straws, plates and drink stirrers every year, which amounts to 3.9–5.9 thousand tons of plastic waste.
International research also shows that single-use plastics in contact with food can harm human health and pollute the environment, which in turn poses further risks to human well-being.
