SEPA Waste Management Support Georgia

The project was planned and executed with the aim to support Georgia in the development and implementation of new legislation within the area of waste management, which is required for the planned accession to the European Union (EU). SEPA supported to capacity-building and measures towards implementation of integrated waste management system in Georgia with a focus on hazardous and biodegradable waste management as well as producer’s responsibility during 2016-2019, with four objectives. SEPA Project Partners were: 1. Ministry of Environmental Protection and Agriculture of Georgia 2. Ltd Solid Waste Management Company of Georgia (SWMCG) 3. Ltd "TbilService Group" 4. Ltd Hygiene 2009, on behalf of Autonomous Republic of Adjara The main activities of the techncial cooperation during the 2016-2019 included 4 study visits on the topics: Extended producer’s responsibility, November 2017. Hazardous waste management and contaminated sites, May 2018. Biodegradable waste November 2018. Extended producer’s responsibility, March 2019.  • Job-shadowing for TbilService, March 2019 • Course on Hazardous Waste Management facilities, May 2019 • Course on Inventory of Contaminated Sites, May 2019. SEPA Increased capacity of MEPA and shared experience and policy from Swedish EPR system on the topics of EPR, Hazardous waste management and Biodegradable waste. Supported SWMCG and TbilService Group" management and landfill operators with the appliance of the acceptance criteria. Developed guidelines for Hazardous Waste Inventory; knowledge of how to implement the inventory by the executing authorities; draft remediation plan and draft recommendations for further actions.  SEPA aslo achieved some unexpected results like: Better understanding between the project partners; Increased knowledge of contaminated sites;Increased knowledge about the operation of waste management company and the implementation of new waste projects; Increased knowledge of the management of Hazardous Waste Facility; Provided support for SWMCG:s, TbilService Group’s and Green Service’s (Tbilisi City Hall) management in their operations; Synergies with other stakeholders in Georgia and shared experience on awareness-raisign. During the project inception phase, Gender Mainstreaming Strategy with Gender Action Plan (GAP) was developed and adopted.The main gender outcomes of the project include: Increased learning in Swedish EPA and in the team on how to mainstream gender and challenges connected to it. Increased understanding among partners that there is a link between gender equality and financial capacity. Increased understanding among partners about the value of gender mainstreaming to the quality of the project results and that gender mainstreaming is a requirement which will increase, not decrease, differentiating between potential donors/banks. Increased understanding of gender concept and what is included in it. According to the collected lists of participants during all the study visits conducted in Sweden - 27 women and 43 men were nominated to participate.      

The overall objective of the project is to support Georgia in creation and implementation of waste management system which corresponds to the norms and levels accepted by EU and by this improve general living environment in Georgia. To achive the main goal there are specific objectives of the intervention: 1. Provided support in establishing of the procedure of Hazardous Waste inventory; made inventory of one of the hazardous waste sites and provided knowledge of Best Practice of Hazardous waste management. 2. Increased knowledge of integrated waste management and filled in the Ministry of Environment and Natural Resources Protection staff’s gaps of expertise on different aspects of waste management, such as: management of hazardous and biodegradable waste, extended producer responsibility. 3. Elaboration of the municipal waste Management occupational safety methodology for workers involved in collection, transportation and disposal of waste. 4. Support to Solid Waste Management Company and "TbilService Group" management and landfill operators with the appliance of the acceptance criteria