Building Collective Action to Recover 18,380 Tons of Automotive Waste in Georgia

Before Georgia introduced Extended Producer Responsibility (EPR) legislation in 2022, Tegeta was already man- aging hazardous automotive waste such as used oils, batteries and tires within its own operations. In some cases, this meant sending waste abroad because domestic treatment options were still limited. When the new legislation came into force, the company used the law as a trigger to formalize and scale capabilities it had already begun to build internally.

Rather than keeping the response inside one company, Tegeta established Tegeta Green Planet as a collective Producer Responsibility Organization (PRO). Tegeta Holding set the strategic direction, while Tegeta Green Planet became the operational platform through which compliance, collection, traceability and stakeholder coordination could be organized across multiple companies. The PRO was designed as an association uniting Tegeta Motors, subsidiary companies and other member producers, so the model would serve a broader producer ecosystem.

The initiative was designed to support the automotive sector in navigating the transition toward new regulatory standards. Tegeta identified that many producers faced operational challenges due to the specialized infrastructure and expertise required to meet EPR obligations independently. Furthermore, a significant portion of automotive waste previously lacked the integrated tracking systems necessary for verified environmental safety across the industry. 

Tegeta Green Planet’s role was therefore to provide a structured, transparent framework that offers a professional alternative to fragmented practices, ensuring that waste management is both compliant and traceable for all member companies.

The first implementation step was education, as many businesses were caught off guard by the new EPR rules. Tegeta Green Planet positioned itself as an educator, running awareness campaigns to explain legal requirements and the environmental rationale behind them.

To facilitate participation, the onboarding process was designed to be straightforward:
 

• Accessible Membership: Companies can initiate membership via the official platform or direct contact.
• Urgent Consultation: For companies facing immediate regulatory pressure (e.g., products held at customs), the PRO provides rapid guidance on recycling fees and documentation.
• Transparency from Day One: During onboarding, companies receive a clear breakdown of the PRO system structure and their specific legal responsibilities.

Tegeta Green Planet invested in physical infrastructure to remove logistical friction and make responsible disposal practical in day-to-day operations. 

The organization provides member companies with specific practical services: 

• Free Waste Transportation: Arranging the collection of tires, batteries and oils via authorized operators at no cost to members. 
• Compliance Support: Providing regular reminders for mandatory declarations to ensure members meet regulatory deadlines. 
• Widespread Access: Utilizing a network of approximately 45 collection points nationwide, including 13 licensed facilities and smaller collection sites at service branches.

To ensure that collected waste is managed safely and in line with circular economy principles, Tegeta Green Planet defined specific treatment pathways for each major waste stream. The organization distinguishes between higher- value recovery options, which preserve materials for further use and lower-value recovery routes, which still ensure safe management and landfill diversion when better alternatives are not available. 

For waste tires, Tegeta Green Planet prioritizes material recovery where possible. A significant share of collected tires is transferred to licensed downstream operators, where they undergo thermal and chemical processing to generate secondary industrial-use outputs. This pathway supports circular value retention by keeping recovered materials in economic use. 

When material recovery is not feasible, a defined portion of collected tires is used as an alternative fuel in cement production. This represents energy recovery: the calorific value of the material replaces conventional fossil fuels and helps divert waste from landfill, although the material itself is not preserved for further use in the production cycle. 

For waste oils, Tegeta Green Planet applies a similar hierarchy. Because Georgia currently lacks infrastructure for high-value waste oil regeneration and re-refining, the preferred route is export to specialized facilities in Greece. There, waste oil can be processed into reusable secondary oil products, enabling a higher level of circular value retention.

Where export or higher-value recovery is not feasible, waste oil is transferred to licensed domestic operators in accordance with Georgian legislation. In these facilities, waste oil undergoes controlled thermal processing and is converted into products such as furnace fuel, bitumen-based materials, gas and hydrocarbon fractions. While this is a lower-grade recovery route than re-refining, it ensures safe management of hazardous waste, recovers residual value and avoids uncontrolled disposal. 

For used lead-acid batteries, collected batteries are transferred to licensed operators in Georgia for dismantling, separation and recovery under controlled environmental and safety conditions. Lead-containing components are recovered through smelting and casting processes, allowing metallic lead to return to industrial use as a secondary raw material. Battery acid is neutralized, while plastic fractions are sent to specialized recycling facilities for further processing.

The system ensures accountability through continuous monitoring and detailed documentation. 

• Daily Reporting: Every stage—collection, location, volume and destination—is recorded to ensure full traceability of each waste stream. 
• Public Accountability: The system is supported by annual internal and external audits. Crucially, audit results are made publicly available on the organization’s website to build trust with stakeholders and the public.

Stakeholder dialogue is embedded in the governance model because Tegeta Green Planet operates as an association. This is complemented by broader public awareness efforts, such as the national campaign “Don’t throw it away, hand itმარა in for recycling,” and educational sessions in schools to promote long-term system change.

Progress emerged from continuous investment, cooperation and long-term commitment rather than single actions.

Industry collaboration proved essential for addressing hazardous waste challenges effectively.

Operational systems are most effective when paired with awareness and mindset change.

Rapid growth in collection volumes highlighted the importance of early infrastructure expansion and structured onboarding.

Data-driven monitoring strengthened trust and demonstrated environmental responsibility as measurable business value.