Sale of certain plastic items intended for contact with food banned from today

By decision of the Government of Georgia, from April 1, 2026, the sale of plastic forks, knives, spoons, chopsticks, plates, straws, drink stirrers, as well as food containers and their lids, cups and their lids made of expanded polystyrene (EPS) has been banned. The import and production of these products has already been banned from January 1, 2026.

According to the Ministry of Environmental Protection and Agriculture, another regulation related to the restriction of plastic consumption also comes into force from April 1. In particular, agencies subject to state procurement are prohibited from carrying out state procurement of plastic cups, containers and beverages in plastic bottles with a capacity of up to three liters. The restriction does not apply to state purchases of beverages in plastic bottles up to three liters, which are carried out for the needs of the defense forces and military personnel.

The National Food Agency, the Environmental Supervision Department and the Revenue Service of the Ministry of Finance will exercise control over the implementation of the above regulations, within their competence.

In accordance with the Administrative Offenses Code of Georgia, violation of the requirements stipulated by the resolution will result in a fine of 1,000 GEL and confiscation of the relevant products, while repeated violation will result in a fine of 2,000 GEL and confiscation of the products.

"It is important that the regulation does not apply to the export of plastic products. Manufacturers who manufacture products for export are obliged to notify the Department of Environmental Supervision in writing, at least one month before the start of production, about the start and end dates of production, the number of products to be manufactured, the export countries and the export implementation schedule," the Ministry of Environmental Protection and Agriculture said in a statement.