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The Georgian capital city of Tbilisi will have its first waste treatment plant to improve solid waste management and disposal thanks to a new €26 million funding from the European Bank for Reconstruction and Development and the Green Climate Fund, Azernews reports, citing Agenda.

The Ministry of Finance said a loan agreement was signed on Tuesday between the Finance Minister Lasha Khutsishvili and Alkis Vryenios Drakinos, the Regional Director of the EBRD for the Caucasus.

This project aims to elevate Tbilisi to European standards, ensuring environmental protection and enhancing citizens’ health”, Khutsishvili said.

In his turn, Drakinos said the Bank has been cooperating with the city and the Ministry of Finance to implement “several important” projects to “help make Tbilisi greener”.

Today, we are delighted to be making another pivotal step towards improving the city’s infrastructure and its people’s wellbeing”, he said.

Tbilisi Mayor Kakha Kaladze added the new project would “lay the foundation” for separation in waste collection and treatment in Georgia, calling it a “very important” step forward for locals and for the environment.

The EBRD said the Tbilisi Waste Processing Project would prioritise the redirection of waste away from the sanitary landfill for comprehensive waste treatment, including mechanical and biological treatment and recovery of recyclable materials.

This will help to significantly reduce greenhouse gas emissions - by 72 percent compared to the baseline - and improve the overall environment in the city”, the Bank said.

The construction of the waste treatment plant in Tbilisi will be supported with €22 million from the EBRD and up to €4 million from the Green Climate Fund - the latter established through the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change.

The project will be implemented by Tbilisi City Hall through Tbilservice Group, a cleaning and waste management company.

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