Plastic bag use for product weighing banned across Georgia

Use of plastic bags for weighing products at markets has been banned across Georgia in the latest move designed to tighten domestic environmental regulations. Photo: Bigstock

Agenda.ge, 04 Jan 2023 - 16:11, Tbilisi,Georgia

Use of plastic bags for weighing products at markets has been banned across Georgia in the latest move designed to tighten domestic environmental regulations.

The legislative update, facilitated by amendments to a related Government decree signed by the Prime Minister, came into force on Monday.

Later this year the regulations will also be tightened for plastic bags intended for waste, with a note indicating their designation for waste use to be required starting in June.

Georgian legislation began restricting use of single-use plastic bags in 2018, with the reform continuing in 2019 with bans on use, import and domestic production of plastic bags. 

The regulations only allow production and sale of biodegradable bags, in a move designed to avoid the issues with long-term degradation of non-biodegradable plastic bags that have been recognised to cause harmful environmental outcomes.