Towards a More Sustainable Georgia

Karolína Nováková is from the Czech Republic and is doing a one-year European Voluntary Service (EVS) project for the International Center for Peace Integration (ICPI) in Tbilisi. She has university degrees in Marketing from the Tomas Bata University, Czech Republic, and in Management from the Saint-Petersburg University. Since she came to Georgia in November last year, she has been organizing events to inform people on how to be more sustainable in everyday life and on sustainable ways of doing business. GEORGIA TODAY had the chance to meet her.

What specific challenges linked to environment and sustainability have you seen in Georgia?

Well quite a lot, unfortunately. There is no system or legislation that guides people to be more environmentally friendly. First, I noticed that there is a lack of bins in the streets and in public parks, as well as national parks. There is no sign which says, ‘Do not drop litter.’ There are also too few recycling bins.

The second big challenge I see is transportation. There are many old cars in Georgia which produce more carbon hydrate than new ones, plus the number of cars is incredibly high. I heard that this year, Tbilisi City Hall will launch an electric car sharing system. It’s a nice try, but in my opinion, to reach visible impact, it must go hand-in-hand with reducing the number of old cars in the city, perhaps limited by a law.

As a third challenge, and I assume it is the biggest one, there is a lack of awareness in Georgian communities. People are not educated on these subjects and that’s why they tend to not care about them.

Then your main goal is education?

By holding these sustainable meetings, I want to educate Georgians about environmental and social issues through different topics, and through case studies. I try to make it interactive so that people engage with the topic and think critically. It is not just people coming to listen but rather to discuss and share ideas and experiences.

I want people, and especially youth, to have at least a basic knowledge of what sustainability means.

What differences do you see between the challenges encountered here in Georgia and in the Czech Republic?

In the Czech Republic, there is a more developed waste system. Every small housing estate, village and city has recycling bins. We recycle aluminum, glass, paper, plastics, Tetra packages, Bio trash, batteries, and more. Bins are almost always just 10 minutes away. Here, I have to take a 30-minute journey on public transport to get to my nearest recycling bin.

In the Czech Republic, customers have to pay for paper bags in the supermarket and people usually bring their own fabric bags. Plastic bags are slowly disappearing. Zero packaging shops are quite popular, and customers come with their own packaging: glass jars, paper boxes, fabric, paper bags, etc., and they put what they buy in their ecofriendly vessels. Moreover, some online grocery e-shops now deliver their products only in paper bags.

Finally, the public transport system is different. In many Czech cities, I can get almost anywhere without using a car, and I know what I'm talking about because I don't drive. Car and bike sharing systems are also becoming popular.

Do you have examples of Georgian companies that are effectively sustainable?

I know about three sustainable businesses here. One is a Georgian cosmetic startup called ‘Sapovnela’ which makes natural cosmetics from herbs and local goat milk. The second one is called ‘Zero Effect,’ a vegan/vegetarian café and store whose goal is to avoid producing waste. They sell reusable items and non-plastic recipients. The third one is a company called ‘Green Gift,’ which provides offices with wooden boxes designed to collect paper. Afterwards, the paper is recycled and converted into very nice paper gifts.

Fabrika hostel also has recycling bins and often hosts events linked to sustainability.

What interest would Georgian companies gain by becoming more sustainable or ‘greener’?

This is a market that is still to be conquered in Georgia. For example, instead of exporting all the trash out of Georgia, companies could try to start recycling some here. It could contribute to reducing unemployment in Georgia.

Besides, being sustainable is becoming trendy, so being an eco-friendly company would definitely entice people and arouse their interest in your company. The governmental sector and foreign investors can help this process.

Your last event was on Wednesday. Tell us about it.

The focus was on legislation. Georgia lacks standards in many areas of legislation. For instance, in architecture, when a designer wants to build a ‘green’ building, there is no definition and no specific and concrete standard which describes what is a ‘green building’ is.

Related to waste management, I know that in 2017, Georgia introduced a new regulation which prohibits dumping waste in the streets, which can incur fines. However, this regulation does not work correctly, because the government is not controlling it.

Also, plastic bags will soon be prohibited, to be replaced with paper bags. The problem is that only the thinner ones are prohibited. So, they will probably be replaced by thicker plastic bags. In some stores people are charged 0.20 Tetri for plastic bags, but this is a ridiculous fee.

As for eco-labels, they enable people to recognize how eco or ethical friendly a product or service is. Labels are a measurement of environmental impact, and companies can find them useful, especially in a competitive market.

What are your hopes for Georgia’s future?

I see that Georgia is on the right path, and I already see some progress in the cities, but it is a long-distance run. Some NGOs and private companies are eco concerned and, step by step, are implementing a Corporate Social Responsibility strategy in their business. I think that it is just a matter of time and, above all, of education.

I really want more people to come to these sustainable meetings in Mediathek library: everyone is welcomed, we need to spread the word!

Future meetings are listed below. They are often in English, but some Georgian speakers do their talks in Georgian:

03.04.19: Smart electronic devices and apps, in Mediathek Kikvidze Park

17.04.19: Sustainable tourism and green hotel, in Mediathek Kikvidze Park

01.15.19: Sustainable materials, in Mediathek Kikvidze Park

15.05.19: Circular economy and sustainability, in Mediathek Kikvidze Park

29.05.19 Circular economy, in Czech Republic in Vake Park

12.06.19: Sustainability in the food industry, in Mediathek Kikvidze Park

For more information: Generator 9.8

By Gabrielle Colchen

Photo Source: http://ytsnepal.org