The European Union, in collaboration with a United Nations-led consortium, has launched a new initiative to accelerate Georgia’s transition to a circular economy. Backed by EUR 4.4 million in EU funding, the two-year project (2025–2027) will be implemented by UNDP, UNIDO, and the Environment Agency Austria, with technical support from Avfall Sverige, Sweden’s trade association for waste management and recycling. The initiative aims to reduce waste, increase recycling, expand access to green finance, and raise awareness of circular economy practices across public, private, and civic sectors.
A central focus of the programme is establishing robust national systems for extended producer responsibility (EPR), equipping Georgia with the capacities, infrastructure, and practical tools needed for an effective and equitable circular transition. Key stakeholders—including producer responsibility organisations, civil society groups, youth, and social enterprises—will receive capacity-building, financial support, and opportunities to engage in partnerships that promote systemic, long-term change.
The initiative also seeks to create new opportunities for greener jobs, stronger businesses, cleaner cities, and healthier communities. Didier Trebucq, UN Resident Coordinator in Georgia, emphasized the project’s potential to deliver practical solutions for sustainable development, while Annelies Vanwymelbeke from the EU Delegation highlighted that rethinking how resources are designed, used, and reused can create value while cutting waste, strengthening Georgia’s economic resilience.
During a meeting in Tbilisi on 16 October, programme partners and stakeholders discussed implementation strategies and identified key circularity gaps, including weak management of EPR waste streams such as packaging, batteries, waste oils, electrical and electronic equipment, and end-of-life tyres and vehicles. Georgia currently generates around 23 million tonnes of waste annually, with domestic material consumption of 13.7 tonnes per capita. However, its circularity rate remains low at 1.48 per cent, compared to 11.5 per cent in the EU, due to limited infrastructure, low public awareness, and underinvestment in recycling technologies.
Through policy support, infrastructure investment, green financing, and inclusive engagement, the EU-UN initiative aims to help Georgia transform these challenges into opportunities, advancing a greener, more circular, and prosperous future for all.
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