By government decision, the sale of certain single-use plastic items may be prohibited, and their procurement by state bodies will be restricted.

This goal is served by amendments to the "Waste Management Code," which have been submitted to Parliament for accelerated consideration. Once adopted, these changes will make it possible - when necessary - to ban or restrict both the initial supply to the market and the trade of certain products.

As Deputy Minister of Environmental Protection and Agriculture Zurab Ezugbaia explained at the meeting of the Parliament’s Economic Policy Committee, single-use hazardous plastic products generate large amounts of dangerous waste that pose risks both to waste management and to human health.

"After consultations with the business sector, we reached an agreement that single-use cups, plates, knives, straws, and other items in this segment will be banned. The business sector will be given the opportunity to sell off existing stocks that were imported before the import ban takes effect, but after the sell-off period ends, domestic trade must be conducted accordingly.

The public sector may voluntarily restrict itself - particularly regarding single-use cups - and refuse to purchase them, which requires a legal basis. We want the public sector to set an example and take a leading role by taking a step forward in waste management and restricting plastic items," Zurab Ezugbaia said at the committee meeting.