Goodwill Hypermarket, Didi Digomi branch, Tbilisi, August 4, 2016, 11:00 hrs - Chargé D’Affaires Nicholas Berliner, USAID Acting Deputy Mission Director Mark Mitchell, Minister of Environment and Natural Resources Protection Gigla Agulashvili, Executive Director of Caucasus Environmental NGO Network (CENN) Nana Janashia, and Goodwill CEO Giorgi Khabashvili participated in the U.S. Government’s Waste Management Technologies in Regions (WMTR) program’s opening of the first public recycling center in Georgia.

Through the WMTR program, USAID promotes a green economy through promotion of waste recycling in Georgia and develops local capacity to solve environmental problems. Through the creation of opportunities to recycle waste, and through educational and awareness raising campaigns, local communities learn about environmental issues, and actively participate in promoting environmentally friendly behavior. The WMTR program establishes waste separation and recycling systems and motivates citizens to become more aware of the environment and things they can do to protect it.   

The WMTR program is implemented by the International City/County Managers Association (ICMA), along with the Caucasus Environmental NGO Network (CENN), in close cooperation with the Ministry of Environment and Natural Resources Protection of Georgia, the Ministry of Regional and Development Infrastructure of Georgia, and regional and local governments of the Kakheti Region and the Adjara Autonomous Republic. WMTR implements pilot projects in selected municipalities to minimize adverse impacts of waste on human health and natural resources, and to reduce greenhouse gas emissions from landfills.