Waste Separation Program Starts in Tbilisi

TBILISI – Hypermarket Goodwill in the Didi Digomi district of Georgia’s capital Tbilisi, became the first point in the country to set up dumpsters for aluminium cans, plastic (PET) bottles, paper and polyethene bags when it began a waste separation management program on August 4.

USAID’s Waste Management Technologies in Regions (WMTR) program, implemented by ICMA and CENN in cooperation with the waste collection company "Clean the World," carried out the initiative.

The WMTR noted that waste separation and recycling is essential to establish a proper and ecological waste management culture in Georgia.

As part of the framework of the Georgia-EU Association Agreement, Georgia must implement and create relevant legislation and policy documents aimed at regulating EU standard waste management.

Environment and Natural Resources Protection Minister Gigla Agulashvili said that though new laws on waste separation are not set until 2019, private companies have already begun planning for their introduction.