One of the toughest environmental laws in the world is being discussed in Georgia. According to the authorities' proposal, from February 1, 2027, the sale of carbonated and non-alcoholic drinks, alcohol and drinking water in plastic bottles may be prohibited on the market. Exceptions are planned only for water in containers with a volume of more than 3 liters and for carbonated drinks in bottles over 20 liters.

If the document is adopted, most of the locally produced and imported drinks that are sold in plastic bottles today may disappear from store shelves. At the same time, analysts note that there is no ban of this scale yet in the European Union, the USA, or the OECD countries.

The peculiarity of the situation is that Georgia is a major producer of mineral and drinking water, which is mainly sold in plastic containers. At the same time, the country does not yet have a developed system of separate waste collection and recycling.

Unlike Europe, where there is a requirement to increase the share of recycled plastic in bottles — up to 25% by 2025 and up to 30% by 2030, in Georgia the infrastructure for recycling plastic, aluminum and glass is still minimally developed.