Waste Management Licensing — Decision or Registration
Waste management activities in Georgia are regulated by the Waste Management Code and, depending on the scale and type of the activity, fall into one of two administrative forms: the environmental decision and registration. On this page you will learn which activity requires which form, where the boundaries run in tonnes, and how the transboundary movement of waste is regulated.
This distinction directly affects time and cost: the environmental decision means a full administrative procedure, while registration is a light form for small scale operations. Knowing the thresholds precisely determines the regime in which you declare your activity and how quickly you can start operating.
The Sphere of the Environmental Decision
Of the activities related to waste processing, those provided for by the Environmental Assessment Code are subject to the environmental decision. In other words, the circle of relevant activities is not listed in the Waste Management Code itself — it is determined by the Environmental Assessment Code, and the waste field supplements that circle with additional requirements.
The list of documents to be submitted, and the requirements for their content, are determined by the Waste Management Code, the Environmental Assessment Code and the subordinate acts issued on their basis. An important possibility applies: a person carrying out more than one such activity where the activities are substantially connected is entitled to request a single environmental decision — and from 1 September 2026 this format continues as a single environmental decision or integrated environmental permit, with the integrated permit covering activities provided for by the Law of Georgia on Industrial Emissions. For large sites combining several operations, this single-instrument option materially reduces administrative burden.
The Sphere of Registration — Thresholds in Tonnes
The following waste management activities are subject to registration: the collection or transportation of waste; the construction and operation of a temporary storage facility for more than 50 tonnes of non hazardous waste; the pre processing of up to 100 tonnes per year of non hazardous waste; the construction and operation of a temporary storage facility for not less than 2 and not more than 10 tonnes of hazardous waste; the construction and operation of a waste transfer station; the recovery or disposal of up to 10 tonnes per year of non hazardous waste; and the waste management activity provided for by the relevant annex to the Environmental Assessment Code which, on the basis of a screening decision, was not subjected to the environmental impact assessment procedure.
The tonnage thresholds are the dividing lines: pre processing of up to 100 tonnes per year fits within registration, while a volume exceeding that threshold requires the environmental decision; the registration corridor for temporary storage of hazardous waste runs from 2 to 10 tonnes. The procedure and conditions of registration are determined by a resolution of the Government of Georgia — the details of the procedure therefore stand in an administrative act and should be verified before applying.
Transboundary Movement — a Special Regime
The import, export and transit of waste — the transboundary movement of waste — is regulated by the Law of Georgia on the Import, Export and Transit of Waste, taking into account the requirements and procedures of the Basel Convention of 22 March 1989 on the Control of Transboundary Movements of Hazardous Wastes and Their Disposal.
This means that cross border operations fall under a separate law and an international convention: an intention to move waste across the border requires the requirements of both acts to be taken into account together, and a local permit status — decision or registration — does not automatically substitute for the transboundary regime. Planning an export therefore means a double compliance check: national licensing and the convention based procedure.
Choosing the Right Form — a Practical Guide
The practical guide consists of three questions. First, what type of operation is the activity: collection and transportation, temporary storage, pre processing, recovery or disposal, or transfer. Second, what is the waste in question: hazardous or non hazardous, since for hazardous waste the corridor is narrow. Third, what is the annual volume: 50 tonnes for temporary storage, 100 tonnes for pre processing and 10 tonnes for recovery or disposal — these three figures mark the border between registration and the environmental decision.
Finally, bear the 2026 changes in mind: the integrated environmental permit regime enters into force and the division of activities shifts slightly. If the project timetable crosses that date, the application strategy must be calculated for both regimes, so that documentation prepared today does not become obsolete tomorrow.
Frequently Asked Questions
Which activities are subject to the environmental decision?
Those provided for by the Environmental Assessment Code. Where more than one substantially connected activity is carried out, a single decision may be requested; from 1 September 2026 the format expands to a decision or integrated permit.
Which activities require registration?
Collection or transportation; a temporary storage facility for more than 50 tonnes of non hazardous waste; pre processing of up to 100 tonnes per year; temporary storage of 2 to 10 tonnes of hazardous waste; a waste transfer station; recovery or disposal of up to 10 tonnes per year of non hazardous waste; and activities not subjected to assessment by a screening decision.
How is the export and import of waste regulated?
Transboundary movement is regulated by a separate law on the import, export and transit of waste, taking into account the Basel Convention of 22 March 1989. A local permit status does not substitute for this regime.
How We Help on Legal.ge
Choosing the right form of waste-management licensing depends on the tonnage thresholds and the content of the activity. The specialists of Legal.ge assess your operations, determine the needed form and prepare the documentation. Contact us on Legal.ge — a precisely chosen form saves time and cost.