Push for a Plastic Circular Economy: Key Findings from Plastic Pollution Surveys and Policy Analysis in Georgia

On September 5, in Batumi, an information meeting brought together 50 participants, including representatives from all 10 coastal municipalities, central and regional government bodies and international organizations. Held within the framework of the World Bank’s “Bluening the Black Sea (BBSEA) program” and in partnership with the the Regional Environmental Centre for the Caucasus (RECC) , the event served as a platform to share the key findings from recent plastic pollution surveys ,also discussing plastic policy directions and identifying the specific priorities and challenges faced by the municipalities..

The event was opened with welcoming remarks by Solomon Pavliashvili, Deputy Minister of Environmental Protection and Agriculture of Georgia; Mirian Katamadze, Deputy Minister of Agriculture of the Autonomous Republic of Adjara; Irma Gurguliani, Head of the Waste and Chemicals Management Department of the Ministry of Environmental Protection and Agriculture of Georgia; Klaus Sattler, Environmental Specialist at the World Bank; and Sophiko Akhobadze, Executive Director of the Regional Environmental Centre for the Caucasus (RECC).

“The World Bank’s report ‘Assessment of Institutional Capacity Building, Plastic Policies, and Investment Priorities’ is quite comprehensive and clearly demonstrates that Georgia’s coastal areas are significantly polluted with plastic waste. The report also presents recommendations on what steps the country should take. We are ready to initiate an active dialogue with the private sector to reduce the use of plastics in everyday life. At the same time, society must be offered environmentally friendly and affordable alternatives,” – said Solomon Pavliashvili, Deputy Minister of Environmental Protection and Agriculture of Georgia.

“Protecting the Black Sea is a priority for Georgia. Meetings like this provide an opportunity for the government, international partners, and municipalities to jointly develop concrete steps that will significantly reduce pollution both along the coastline and at the local level,” – noted Mirian Katamadze, Deputy Minister of Agriculture of the Autonomous Republic of Adjara.

During the meeting, participants discussed the current state of Georgia’s national waste and plastic management policies and World Bank–supported initiatives. They also reviewed the methodology and results of drone-based research.

Plastic pollution presents one of the most significant challenges for Georgia’s Black Sea coastline. As authoritative studies [1][2] show, the negative impact on seaside tourism results in millions of dollars in economic losses for marine resorts. And Georgia is no exception. Moreover, along with the monetary damage to the tourism sector, the high level of plastic pollution significantly lowers the quality of life of the local population.

While recent initiatives by municipalities and the private sector indicate a public desire to combat plastic pollution, their effectiveness is constrained by inadequate resources. This resource gap significantly limits the potential scale and impact of these local efforts. Consequently, support from international donors remains the primary viable strategy for Georgia to address its escalating plastic pollution crisis.

The study of rivers and coastlines, carried out by RECC and Ellipsis with the support of the World Bank, revealed the following:

• Plastic waste accounts for 88% of river pollution in western Georgia;
• The most common plastic items found are single-use bottles (41%), bottle caps (18%), and plastic tape or wrapping (13%);
• At least 13 pollution “hot spots” have been identified that require urgent action.

Experts emphasized the need for the following measures to effectively manage plastic pollution:

• Introducing a deposit–return system to facilitate the collection and recycling of plastic bottles and packaging;
• Imposing extended producer responsibility on single-use plastic manufacturers to ensure accountability across the entire product life cycle;
• A complete ban on certain single-use plastic items (cups, plates, cutlery, and more).

About the Program

The World Bank’s Bluening the Black Sea (BBSEA) program aims to support the creation of a unified regional framework for the sustainable management of the Black Sea. The program focuses on ecosystem restoration, promotion of sustainable fisheries and aquaculture, reduction of marine pollution, and strengthening of regional cooperation and capacity.

In Georgia, BBSEA works with the government to address marine pollution and supports initiatives aimed at improving plastic management and advancing the circular economy. This includes identifying priority types of plastics entering rivers and the sea, detecting pollution “hotspots,” supporting the development and implementation of plastic policies, and analyzing their potential impacts.

For more information, visit the official Bluening the Black Sea (BBSEA) program website.