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Georgia prepares legislative changes to regulate inert waste management
The Deputy Minister of Environmental Protection and Agriculture Mr. Solomon Pavliashvili, attended the presentation on the Thematic Inquiry Report on “Inert Waste Management in Georgia” prepared by the Environmental Protection and Natural Resources Committee.
During the event, the participants highlighted the main challenges in inert waste management in Georgia, recommendations for promoting the sustainable management of inert waste and the development of legislative changes intended to regulate inert waste management in the country.
The management of inert waste is one of the crucial challenges. This type of waste is collected in large quantities and, in most cases, is placed in municipal or hazardous waste landfills; Mixing them with other types of waste brings a threat and adverse effects to the environment.
The Ministry has been working in this area for a long time. We have already outlined and included inert waste management as the particular objective in our National Waste Management Plan and National Strategy for 2020-2030 to determine how to carry out inert waste monitoring, registration, and management. I am glad that the Committee has held the thematic inquiry report. Moreover, the Ministry is actively involved in the respective process, and we will continue cooperating on this issue to get a positive result. Inert waste has the highest standard of circularity. Thus, recycling waste as well as supporting the sector that recycles and converts inert wastes into new products will be helpful. This is an inter-sectoral issue and not the prerogative of any branch”, said the Deputy Minister of Environmental Protection and Agriculture, Mr. Solomon Pavliashvili.
According to Mrs. Maia Bitadze, Chair of the Environmental Protection and Natural Resources Committee of the parliament, sustainable management of inert waste is crucial for the country.
As we are all aware, in 2015, Georgia adopted the Waste Management Code, which means that already in 2015, we had a vision for the future regulation of this critical direction – inert wastes. Today, inert wastes are recognized worldwide as one of the critical resources that may be recycled and returned to economic circulation. Therefore, we started preparing legislative changes.” Mrs. Maia Bitadze noted.
The representatives of the Parliament of Georgia, the government, international organizations, the diplomatic corps, and the civil and business sector attended the event.
The Presentation on the Thematic Inquiry Report on “Inert Waste Management in Georgia” was developed in close coordination between the Parliament of Georgia and the Government of Georgia, with the support of the United Nations Development Program (UNDP) and Sweden.