“Degusto” director Sandro Norakidze says upcoming restrictions on plastic packaging will sharply increase costs for food businesses, making takeaway meals so expensive that many customers will stop buying them.
Under new regulations taking effect on July 1, food establishments will be prohibited from providing drinks in plastic bottles and meals in plastic containers. From that date, businesses must switch to glass bottles or aluminum cans for beverages, and cardboard packaging for food. This follows the April 1 ban on importing and selling plastic cutlery, cups, plates and similar items.
Norakidze says costs will surge: glass bottles are roughly twice as expensive as plastic, while cardboard food containers cost 5–6 times more. He notes that a plastic container costing 18–20 tetri would be replaced by a cardboard version priced at 70–80 tetri. According to him, businesses will have no choice but to pass these higher costs on to consumers, impacting sales.
He hopes the government will review the regulation, arguing that a full transition requires proper recycling infrastructure, including collection points and processing companies. Without that, he says, the change will be difficult for both retailers and producers.
Violating the new rules will result in a 1,000-lari fine and product confiscation, with penalties doubling for repeat offenses. The National Food Agency, the Environmental Supervision Department, and the Revenue Service will carry out enforcement.
