USAID WMTR II Program on the Waste Management System in Georgia

Exclusive Interview

There is a wide range of major achievements the modern world is proud of, including huge accomplishments in the sphere of technologies and the development of infrastructure. However, even though life has in many cases been made much easier and more comfortable for people nowadays, progress is also followed by particular drawbacks. Escalation of the amount of waste is one of the biggest challenges faced by the globe today. Waste disposal sites, covering huge areas worldwide, represent a serious threat to the environment, intensifying the risk of the spread of numerous diseases. Waste management is one of the best solutions for the given problem, adopted by a number of countries and contributing to the preservation of nature and urban environs in the very best way. Georgia is also supporting this initiative and is developing multiple projects supporting its waste management system, including the launch of separation sites for waste disposals.

GEORGIA TODAY met with Nana Janashia, the Executive Director of CENN, a non-governmental organization working to protect the environment and combat climate change by fostering sustainable development throughout the South Caucasus, to speak about the importance of waste management in Georgia, and the present and upcoming projects in this sphere.

How successful have the carried-out projects proven to be so far?

Integrated waste management is a serious challenge for the modern world. Modern waste management consists of the followings stages: reduce, reuse, recycle, energy recovery and landfilling, the latter being the least desirable stage of waste management in the waste management hierarchy.

Piloting the separated waste collection project is both necessary and challenging at the same time. We are pleased that CENN has established waste separation corners at 25 locations in Tbilisi with the support of USAID, in cooperation with Tbilisi City Hall and the Waste Management Association (WMA). Residents can now dispose of their separated waste - PET plastic, paper, glass and aluminum cans – at the separation corner located closest to them. A WMA member company, Clean World Ltd., collects the separated waste, processes it and then delivers it to recycling companies in Georgia and abroad. Paper and glass are delivered to local companies, while plastic and aluminum are exported abroad to other countries, including Turkey and Ukraine.

We believe that this project is a good example of fruitful cooperation between governmental, non-governmental and private sectors. We understand that, currently, the number of separation corners is not sufficient for the entire population of Tbilisi, but we expect to install more corners in the near future in order to cater to more people. It is important that the private sector is actively involved in this process via the WMA, in the terms of its waste collection member companies. The WMA was established within the Waste Management Technology in Regions (WMTR) program implemented by CENN with the support of USAID.

It is important to provide information to the population about where the separated waste goes and how they can contribute to this process by participating in waste separation and protecting the environment in general. The public should be made aware why they should spend time and energy separating their waste and the benefits of doing so (e.g., saving natural resources, creating jobs, promoting a green economy and sustaining a healthy environment). I think such pilot projects are important for large-scale changes.

How high is the public awareness regarding waste management in Georgia?

Public awareness is currently one of the major challenges facing the waste management sector. Not only is infrastructure needed for the introduction of modern waste management approaches, but it is also necessary to equip the public with relevant knowledge and skills in order for them to play an effective and decisive role in the decision-making process. Our organization periodically assesses the public’s opinion on waste management-related issues in the program’s target regions. The results of the survey indicate that public interest is high concerning the issue, especially the topic of littering. On the other hand, public awareness about modern waste management approaches is quite low. There is still a lot of work to be done in order to make the population aware of refusing single-use items and substituting those items with multi-use items, for example. In fact, reducing waste is the most important factor in the modern waste management approach. It is crucial that the population is actively involved and properly informed concerning waste separation rules. For example, before a PET bottle is placed in its appropriate bin in the waste separation stand, it should be emptied completely and have no liquid inside. Strictly following the waste separation rules is important in order to make further recycling possible.

In terms of public awareness, it is imperative to work with open-minded and innovative youth. As a result, the USAID-WMTR program is actively and consistently working with schools and enthusiastic students via various campaigns.

How much is the government involved in the process of developing the waste management system in the country?

After signing the Association Agreement with the EU, the sector is progressively and actively being developed. The legislative basis of waste management has been developed, and in particular, the Waste Management Code, the National Waste Management Strategy for 2016-2030 and the National Waste Management Action Plan for 2016-2020 was developed in recent years. A number of legislative acts have been developed that are necessary to enforce the aforementioned documents. A number of landfills that did not comply with standards have been closed and many other steps have been taken to modernize the waste management sector in the country. The WMTR program is actively working with the government throughout this process. At this stage, the most important step is executing and monitoring the requirements set out and defined in the legislative documents. Society can play a very active and constructive role throughout the monitoring process.

What are the challenges faced by your organization in implementing the waste management process in Georgia?

Our challenges are mainly related to public awareness. It is necessary to work actively with the population to ensure the effective introduction of modern waste management approaches. In addition, frequent governmental changes at local and national levels stifles progress and makes it difficult to hold people accountable.

Are there any drawbacks to waste management?

The waste management sector is at an early stage of development in Georgia, but it is developing slowly but surely! The introduction of modern waste management principles has just begun and, therefore, implementing separated waste collection is still quite a big challenge for the country. According to legislation, separated waste collection should have been required to begin started February 1, 2019 and introduced gradually. In addition, it is important to develop an accurate waste tariff policy in order to obtain financial resources to develop modern waste management approaches in the country. Furthermore, as mentioned before, it is a considerable challenge to raise the awareness of the population concerning modern waste management principles, but we expect that will change as time goes on and perspectives are modernized. After all, times are changing and it’s important to keep up with the times!

What are your future plans regarding the development of waste management in Georgia?

With the support of USAID, within the WMTR program, we are planning to actively continue working with the general public, especially youth. We also plan to collaborate with universities in order to integrate waste management issues into their curricula. Furthermore, we plan to support the regions in introducing local separated waste collection systems.

By Ketevan Kvaratskheliya