Efes Georgia Corporate Affairs Director Nikoloz Khundzakishvili has welcomed the government's decision to postpone by four years the ban on serving beverages in plastic bottles at food service establishments, but says the decision should have been formally published much earlier.
The restriction, originally scheduled to take effect on July 1, 2026, has now been postponed until February 1, 2031. Khundzakishvili told BM.GE that while large companies had been verbally informed that the postponement was coming through ongoing consultations with the Ministry of Environmental Protection and Agriculture, the formal decision was issued only on the day the regulation was due to enter into force.
He noted that although major businesses were aware of the expected delay, small and medium-sized companies may not have had the same information and could have already begun preparing to comply. According to Khundzakishvili, businesses need greater certainty and sufficient lead time whenever regulatory changes are introduced.
Khundzakishvili also said the industry expects a similar postponement of restrictions on the use of plastic cups in the HoReCa sector, including at events where beer is served. He added that while the industry has received verbal assurances, it is still waiting for the official document. Under the current timeline, the ban on producing, importing, and placing beverages in plastic bottles on the domestic market - except for exports - was also set to begin in February 2027, but related restrictions have now been deferred until 2031.
