Roles and Responsibilities - Citizens, Municipalities and the Solid Waste Management Company of Georgia
9 regional landfills (operated by SWMCG) will serve 2,9 million citizens in 68 municipalities
The new national waste management system based on a system of regional landfills and connected networks of transfer stations serves about 65 % of the Georgian population, nearly 3 million citizens. The municipality of Tbilisi and the Autonomous Region of Adjara are not part of this new system and present with roughly 1,5 million citizens about 35 % of the population.
Role and responsibility of citizens and the private sector
The consumers and the private sector are at the beginning of the waste flow. They are ‘producers’ of waste. The first and foremost responsibility of citizens and the private sector is to avoid waste. This is the most efficient and effective way to reduce the overall amount of waste generated. The following graphic shows the basic principles: Reduce – Reuse – Recyle conform the EC Directive 2008/98 on waste:
Role and responsibility of municipalities
The municipalities are responsible for waste collection and delivery of waste to the landfills of the Solid Waste Management Company of Georgia. They play a key role in introducing the new system of regional landfills and the future systems of separate waste collection at source for waste separation and recycling. Therefore, the following tasks and activities have to be taken up by municipalities:
- Each municipality needs to elaborate a municipal waste management plan
- Continuous communication activities are necessary in order to inform, educate and involve citizens in waste separation at source
- The real costs for waste collection need to be calculated and efficient waste tariff collection systems need to be put in place
The municipalities will be supported by the Solid Waste Management Company of Georgia and the technical assistance of the companies that implement the new regional waste management systems on behalf of SWMCG in all regions of Georgia.
Role and responsibility of the Solid Waste Management Company of Georgia
The Solid Waste Management Company of Georgia has the following key tasks and responsibilities:
- Construction of 7 new regional landfills
- Support the municipalities to adapt and improve their waste management services
- Assuring involvement of all regional stakeholders for operating the new systems
- Raising awareness for involving citizens in waste separation and recycling
