Ministry of Environmental Protection and Agriculture of Georgia Ministry of Environmental Protection and Agriculture of Georgia

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The Ministry of Environmental Protection and Agriculture hosted the Plastic Bag Manufacturers and Importers.

The Deputies of the Minister of Environmental Protection and Agriculture Mr. Solomon Pavliashvili and Mr. Kakha Kakabadze held a working meeting with the plastic bag manufacturers and importers.

Mr. Pavliashvili addressed the regulations regarding the production and sale of plastic bags, emphasizing that Georgia is well equipped to conduct studies on the degradation of plastic and the presence of metals in plastic materials.
"Implementing a project of this scale without state support would have been unthinkable. Moreover, I would emphasize that a dedicated facility equipped with international-standard equipment has been established for conducting these studies. The methods we use are accredited and internationally recognized." Mr. Pavliashvili stated.

In 2024, the Polymer Testing Laboratory of the State Laboratory of Agriculture was accredited to conduct studies on the decomposition of plastic material into micro-fragments in plastic and biodegradable bags. Furthermore, the lab also focuses on determining metals such as zinc, copper, nickel, cadmium, lead, mercury, chromium, molybdenum, selenium, and arsenic in plastic materials.
During the meeting, Mr. Kakabadze underscored the importance of close collaboration with the business sector.

"Minimizing environmental pollution is in the best interest of every citizen, and that is the core goal of the adopted regulations. The state will launch the monitoring compliance with the rules regulating plastic and biodegradable bags in April. 

This preparation period is essential to ensure businesses are ready for the changes. We should also mention that fines are not the top objective of the state. What matters is the efficiency of the process, which is greatly enhanced by the availability of laboratory research in Georgia," Mr. Kakabadze stated.

The representatives of the Ministry of Environmental Protection and Agriculture, the State Laboratory of Agriculture, and the Department of Environmental Supervision attended the meeting.