Under the decision of the Government of Georgia, the sale of certain plastic items intended to come into contact with food will be prohibited from January 1, 2026.

At the initiative of the Ministry of Environmental Protection and Agriculture, the Government of Georgia has amended Resolution No. 304 of June 8, 2022, regarding the Approval of the Technical Regulation on Plastic Materials and Products (Articles) Intended to Come into Contact with Food.

 

The amendment,  entering into force on 1 January 2026, envisages the prohibition of the use of certain plastic items intended for contact with food.

 

The production (except for production intended for export), import, and placing on the market of the following plastic items will be prohibited: forks, knives, spoons, chopsticks, plates, straws, beverage stirrers, food containers and their lids made of expanded polystyrene (EPS), and cups and their lids made of expanded polystyrene (EPS).

 

Furthermore, food-service establishments will be prohibited from supplying ready-to-eat food to consumers using single-use plastic food containers and plastic cups.

It is noteworthy that the regulation does not apply to single-use plastic packaging materials intended for pre-packaged foods.



The Resolution establishes a transitional period.

Plastic forks, knives, spoons, chopsticks, plates, straws, beverage stirrers, EPS food containers and their lids, and EPS cups and their lids that have been placed on the market prior to the entry into force of the Resolution may continue to be placed on the market for three months following its entry into force.



Additionally, food-service establishments may continue supplying ready-to-eat food to consumers in single-use plastic food containers and plastic cups for six months from the entry into force of the Resolution (from 1 January 2026).

 

Compliance with the amendments to the technical regulation will be monitored, within their respective mandates, by the National Food Agency, the Environmental Supervision Department, and the Revenue Service of the Ministry of Finance of Georgia.

It is important to note that the production of the above-listed plastic items for export will not be prohibited. Manufacturers producing plastic items intended to come into contact with food for export must notify the Environmental Supervision Department—an agency under the Ministry of Environmental Protection and Agriculture of Georgia—in writing, at least one month before commencing production, of the production start and end dates, the quantity of items to be manufactured, the destination countries, and the timeline for export.