One country is intensifying its efforts to combat single-use plastics by adding plastic beverage bottles to its nationwide ban.
As Georgia Today reported, the Ministry of Environmental Protection and Agriculture in Georgia has announced plans to move forward with a ban of plastic bottles.
The move would restrict the use of plastic beverage bottles on public properties in the former Soviet country straddling Eastern Europe and Western Asia, as well as businesses in the service industry.
"The Ministry continues to work actively on regulating plastic use," said Solomon Pavliashvili, Deputy Minister of Environmental Protection and Agriculture of Georgia.
"Establishing rules for bottled beverages is the next step in this reform. Our goal is to ensure coordination with the sector and develop regulations that balance environmental, health, and economic interests."
Plastic products have long been the target of bans and restrictions by governments around the globe. Plastics are not typically biodegradable, meaning that they can take hundreds of years to break down and can leach toxic chemicals into the soil and water. They will also break apart into microplastics, which is a growing public health concern.
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Since most plastics are made from dirty fuels, their production contributes significantly to increased planet-warming pollution.
In a study from the Regional Environmental Centre for the Caucasus and Ellipsis, researchers determined that plastic waste accounts for 88% of river pollution in western Georgia. Of that waste, 41% of it consisted of single-use plastic bottles.
This isn't the first time that Georgia has made a concerted effort to reduce the amount of plastic pollution that it produces. According to the United Nations Development Programme, the production, import, and sale of plastic bags have been banned in Georgia since April 2019.
The ban was approved in a push to promote the use of more sustainable packaging materials, such as biodegradable and compostable bags.
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Should states be allowed to ban plastic items from businesses? Click your choice to see results and speak your mind. |
Definitely 👍 Compostable and biodegradable bags are often made from plant-based materials that are able to decompose or break down naturally within a shorter time frame.
However, compostable and biodegradable bags can often be more expensive than traditional plastic bags, leading to a slower adoption by the public. This can also cause businesses to raise prices in order to purchase plastic alternatives.
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