First Deputy Minister Mrs. Nino Tandilashvili, together with Deputies Mr. Solomon Pavliashvili and Mr. Lasha Avaliani, met business representatives to discuss upcoming regulation of Georgia on beverage sales in plastic bottles.
 
''We are actively working to regulate plastic consumption. Setting rules for plastic bottle use is the next step. We aim to work closely with the sector and create a regulation that protects public health, the environment, and economic interests," stated Mr. Solomon Pavliashvili.

As mentioned, under the new initiative, the purchase of beverages in plastic bottles will be prohibited for budgetary organizations—including Ministries, their subordinate Agencies, state-owned enterprises, local self-government bodies, and educational institutions—as well as for the hospitality sector. This measure aims to reduce plastic consumption nationwide.


The parties also focused on the timeline for transitioning to the new regulation, which includes further meetings to ensure that all sectoral challenges and feasible conditions for implementation are thoroughly reviewed.

Excessive plastic consumption remains one of the major environmental challenges today. According to research conducted in Georgia, the country consumes approximately 612.5 million units of single-use plastic items annually—including cups, lids, food containers, knives, forks, spoons, straws, plates, and beverage stirrers—amounting to 3.9–5.9 thousand tonnes of plastic waste each year.

International studies have shown that single-use plastics in contact with food can be harmful to human health and contribute to environmental pollution, which in turn poses additional risks to public health.