“In the Near Future, We Will Start Consultations with the Private Sector to Devise Ways to Restrict Plastic Use”
In the coming period, we will begin consultations with the private sector to jointly devise how plastic use can be limited and reduced to a minimum, said Minister Davit Songulashvili.
He made the remark during a meeting with Roland Preis (World Bank regional director for the South Caucasus) and environmental protection experts. At the meeting, they reviewed the summary report of the “Black Sea Blueing” initiative, which focuses on reducing plastic pollution in the Black Sea.
Minister Songulashvili noted that in recent years, significant efforts have been made to refine environmental policy and improve its effective enforcement. The report presented research in four focus areas: diagnostics of marine plastic pollution, assessment of technologies for removing plastic waste from rivers, evaluation of state policies, investment priorities, and institutional capacity related to plastics, and the assessment of microplastic pollution in the Black Sea.
The participants discussed specific recommendations to tackle plastic pollution, aligning with the documents “National Waste Management Strategy of Georgia 2016–2030” and the “Circularity Roadmap 2024.”
“Plastic pollution is a serious and complex issue,” Songulashvili said. “Immediate response is important. In the near future, we will start consultations with the private sector so that together we can think through how to limit and minimize plastic usage. A working group will be formed, which in the shortest timeframe will present an effective action plan for reducing and ultimately eliminating the problem.”
Roland Preis offered the Minister full support, noting that the state has clearly committed to managing Black Sea pollution, which is a welcome development. He added that the challenges and scale of the issue have been collaboratively addressed through the analytical document prepared for this purpose.
The World Bank’s “Black Sea Blueing” (BBSEA) program aims to establish a regional framework for sustainable management of the Black Sea. Its focus includes strengthening economies, reducing marine pollution, restoring ecosystems, sustainable fisheries and aquaculture development, creating “blue” jobs, regional cooperation, and capacity building. The program is implemented in cooperation with the governments of Bulgaria, Georgia, Moldova, Romania, Turkey, and Ukraine, and in close collaboration with the Black Sea Commission, the Black Sea Economic Cooperation (BSEC), the Common Maritime Agenda (CMA), and the European Commission.
