Georgia fights against environment pollution

The Deputy Head of Parliament’s environment committee, Zaza Khutsishvili, spoke against the continued usage of plastic bags and bottles and announced that the relevant ministry was working on a draft law that may prohibit their usage.

Khutsishvili drew attention to the damage done to the environment by plastic bags and bottles, and said it was time for Georgia to move on to using reusable paper bags and baskets.

The lawmaker stressed that a large portion of the European Union's demands was about environmental issues, and the Ministry of Environment was working on a draft that would settle a range of such problems.

He said he did not know the details of the draft, but said the environment is a case for each Georgian citizen, and stressed businesses would also consider the issue.

Khutsishvili stated there might be a certain period granted to businesses producing plastic bags and bottles for them to make changes and elaborate on new environmentally-friendly plans.

Plastic bottles, and especially bags, are a very serious problem for Georgia, in particular when much of the Georgian population continues to drop garbage in the streets or in recreation areas.

Many of them do not know (or care) that each dropped plastic item is damaging to the environment, as hundreds of years are necessary for their decomposition.

It is not enough that country receives laws which fight against littering and promoting environmentally-friendly policy. The country has to take care of such important problem not after other institutions of countries will point at it.

It must not come at the behest of any international instructions. As any state which has democratic ambitions must look after such issues without pressure from foreign institutions and countries.