Georgian Dream Prime Minister Irakli Kobakhidze said the ban on the production, import, and sale of drinks in plastic bottles will be postponed until 2031, a decision that he said followed “consultations” with the business sector. The initial plan had envisioned a gradual ban starting in 2026-2027.
“The use of plastic harms both human health and the environment, and several important steps have already been taken toward reducing plastic use, and this process will continue gradually,” Kobakhidze said at an April 8 government meeting, adding, “At the same time, we must take into account the side factors associated with this process, including businesses’ subjective interests as well as the potential impact of specific regulations on consumer prices.”
He then said the government held “active consultations” with the business sector. “Following these consultations, we have made the decision to postpone enactment of the regulation on the production, import, and placement on the market of beverages in plastic bottles by four years, until February 1, 2031.”
The reversal of the initial plan, announced in March, also followed criticism from Georgian Dream offshoot People’s Power MP Guram Macharashvili, who argued that the planned ban was a rushed decision and lacked sufficient consideration of its economic impact.
Under the initial plan, restaurants, cafés, and other catering establishments would have been prohibited from serving drinks in plastic bottles from July 1, 2026. A broader ban on the production, import, and sale of drinks in plastic bottles was set to follow on February 1, 2027, with exceptions for export and for large-format containers: bottles of three liters or more for water, and 20 liters or more for other beverages. The government cited environmental concerns as the rationale for the planned ban.
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