Production, Use and Import of Plastic Bags Banned in Georgia

From April 1, the production, use and import of plastic bags is banned in Georgia.

The government started the process of prohibiting the use of polybags in October, 2018. At the first stage, the ban was applied to single-use plastic bags thicker than 15 microns, whereas now, the prohibition affects every type of polyethylene bag.

However, production, import and sales of biodegradable bags is allowed.

Businesses violating the law will receive a financial penalty amounting to 500 GEL and will be deprived of the relevant products. A repeat offence will see the fine doubled to 1,000 GEL.

The Environmental Supervision Department of the Ministry of Environmental Protection and Agriculture of Georgia takes the responsibility to monitor bag manufacturers, while import will be controlled by the Customs Department of the Revenue Service of the Ministry of Finance of Georgia.

By Ketevan Kvaratskheliya

Image source: cbw.ge