The European Union, in collaboration with a United Nations-led consortium, has launched a €4.4 million initiative to accelerate Georgia’s transition to a circular economy. The two-year project, running from 2025 to 2027, was officially launched on 16 October in Tbilisi and aims to help the country reduce waste, increase recycling, expand access to green finance, and raise awareness of circular economy practices across public, private, and civic sectors.
Implemented by UNDP, UNIDO, and the Environment Agency Austria, with additional expertise from Sweden’s trade association for waste management and recycling, the initiative focuses on building robust national systems for extended producer responsibility (EPR). The programme seeks to equip Georgia with the capacities, infrastructure, and practical tools needed for an effective circular transition while ensuring fairness and inclusivity.
Key stakeholders, including producer responsibility organisations, civil society groups, youth, and social enterprises, will benefit from capacity-building, targeted financial support, and inclusive partnerships designed to drive long-term systemic change. Annelies Vanwymelbeke from the EU highlighted that the initiative aims to rethink how resources are designed, used, and reused, creating economic value while reducing waste.
Participants at the Tbilisi launch emphasized Georgia’s major circularity challenges, including weak management of EPR waste streams such as packaging, batteries, waste oils, electronic equipment, end-of-life tyres, and vehicles. While Georgia generates around 23 million tonnes of waste annually and has a domestic material consumption of 13.7 tonnes per capita, its circularity rate is only 1.48 per cent, far below the EU average of 11.5 per cent. Limited infrastructure, low public awareness, and underinvestment in recycling technologies remain key obstacles to progress.
