INF/TE/IDP/RD/91* 
16 January 2023  
(23-0393) Page: 1/4 
 Original: English, anglais , inglés  
 
  
UNOFFICIAL ROOM DOCUMENT1 
  
 DIALOGUE ON PLASTICS POLLUTION  
AND ENVIRONMENTALLY SUSTAINABLE PLASTICS TRADE  
UNEP  SUBMISSIONS   
Workshop on Plastic Substitutes - 6 December 2022  
 
DOCUMENT DE S ÉANCE NON OFFICIEL1 
 
DIALOGUE ON PLASTICS POLLUTION  
AND ENVIRONMENTALLY SUSTAINABLE PLASTICS TRADE  
UNEP SUBMISSIONS   
Workshop on Plastic Substitutes - 6 December 2022  
 
DOCUMENTO DE SALA NO OF ICIAL1 
 
DIALOGUE ON PLASTICS POLLUTION  
AND ENVIRONMENTALLY SUSTAINABLE PLASTICS TRADE  
UNEP SUBMISSIONS   
Workshop on Plastic Substitutes - 6 December 2022  
_______________  
  
 
* In Original language only/En langue originale seulement/En el idioma original solamente.  
1 Documents issued in the RD series are not official WTO documents. They usually appear in their 
language of submission and will not be translated systematically into the working languages of the WTO. They 
are intended for use in WTO meeting rooms and are a ttributed an unofficial symbol for archiving purposes only.  
Les documents de la série RD ne sont pas des documents officiels de l 'OMC. Ils ne paraissent 
généralement que dans la langue dans laquelle ils ont été communiqués et ne seront pas systématiquemen t 
traduits dans les langues de travail de l'OMC. Ils sont destinés aux salles de réunion de l'OMC et une cote non 
officielle leur est attribuée à des fins d'archivage.  
Los documentos de la serie RD no son documentos oficiales de la OMC. Por lo general se d istribuyen en 
el idioma en que han sido presentados y no se traduce n sistemáticamente a los idiomas de trabajo de la 
Organización. Se distribuyen para su uso en las salas de reunión de la OMC y se les asigna una signatura no 
oficial a efectos de archivo ún icamente.  INF/TE/IDP/RD/91  
 
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  WORKSHOP ON SUSTAINABLE AND EFFECTIVE SUBSTITUTES AND ALTERNATIVES 
FOR PLASTICS.  
 
 
 
ANNEX – Questions for written submissions  by delegations and stakeholders  
 
Break -out sessions will focus on the guiding questions below. D elegations and invited stakeholders  
are kindly invited to send  written answers to these  questions prior to the event  to idp@wto.org . 
 
1) Working definitions  
 
Q. What are the concepts for which a "working definition" could help the identification of 
"environmentally sustainable and effective substitutes and alternatives " (please select all that  
apply). For each, what are the key elements that should be included in a working definition?  
 
 concept  Key elements   Potential source  
☐ plastic  Plastic means a solid material which 
contains as an essential ingredient one or 
more high -molecular -mass polymers and 
which is formed (shaped) during either 
manufacture of the polymer or the 
fabrication into a finished product by heat 
and/or pressure. Plas tics have material 
properties ranging from hard and brittle 
to soft and elastic.  Amendment to the 
annex of the 
Protocol of 1978 
Relating to the 
International 
Convention for the 
Prevention of 
Pollution from 
Ships (MARPOL), 
resolution 
MEPC.201(62), 
annex, “R evised 
MARPOL annex V”, 
regulation 1.13.  
☐ microplastics  Microplastics refers to plastic particles less 
than 5 millimetres in diameter, including 
nano-sized particles.  
 
 
 
 
 
 
There is ongoing debate about the size 
limit; the definition of microplastics as 
particles less than 5 mm in diameter is 
used.  
 
Microplastics are categorized into primary 
and secondary:  
 
Primary microplastics are manufactured to 
carry out a specific function (e.g., 
cosmetics, abrasive cleaning beads).  
 
Secondary microp lastics result from wear 
and tear or fragmentation of larger 
objects, both during use and following 
loss to the environment.  United Nations 
Environment 
Assembly 
resolution 2/11, 
“Marine litter and 
microplastics”, 
para. 1.  
 
 
Plastics science. 
Note by the 
secretariat, 
Appendix I  
(UNEP/PP/INC.1/7) , 
building on UNEP, 
From Pollution to 
Solution: A Global 
Assessment of 
Marine Litter and 
Plastic Pollution 
(Nairobi, 2021) ; M. 
Cole and others, 
“Microplastics as 
contaminants in the 
marine 
environment: A 
review”, Mari ne 
Pollution Bulletin, 
vol. 62, no. 12 
(Dec. 2011), pp. INF/TE/IDP/RD/91  
 
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   concept  Key elements   Potential source  
2588−2597 ; and 
Joint Group of 
Experts on the 
Scientific Aspects of 
Marine 
Environmental 
Protection, 
Sources, Fate and 
Effects of 
Microplastics in the 
Marine 
Environment: A 
Global Assessment 
(London, 
International 
Maritime 
Organization, 
2015).  
☐ plastics substitutes    
☐ plastic alternatives    
☐ environmentally 
sustainable   UNEP, Addressing 
Single -Use Plastic 
Products Pollution 
Using a Life Cycle 
Approach (Nairobi, 
2021)  
☐ effective (including cost 
and functionally 
effective)    
☐ single use  Single -use plastic products are designed 
and produced to be used once before 
being thrown away or recycled.  Plastics science . 
Note by the 
secretariat , 
Appendix I  
(UNEP/PP/INC.1/7 ) 
☐ re-usable    
☐ biodegradable    
☐ erodible    
☐ recyclable    
☐ recycled content    
☐ compostable    
☐ plastic -related emissions    
☐ waste management 
technologies    
☐ Other    
 Environmentally sound 
waste management  Environmentally sound waste 
management means taking all practicable 
steps to ensure that hazardous wastes or 
other wastes are managed in a manner 
which will protect human health and the 
environment against the adverse effects 
which may result from such was tes. Basel Convention 
on the Control of 
Transboundary 
Movements of 
Hazardous Wastes 
and Their Disposal, 
art. 2 (8).  
 
* We note that the 
definition in the 
Basel Convention is 
used for 
environmentally 
sound management 
of hazardous INF/TE/IDP/RD/91  
 
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   concept  Key elements   Potential source  
wastes or other 
wastes.  
 Management (of wastes)  Management (of wastes) means the 
collection, transport and disposal of 
hazardous wastes or other wastes, 
including after -care of disposal sites.  Basel Convention, 
art. 2 (2).  
We note that the 
definition in the 
Basel Convention is 
used for 
environmentally 
sound management 
of hazardous 
wastes or other 
wastes.  
 Recycling  Recycling means processing of waste 
materials for the original purpose or for 
other purposes, excluding energy 
recovery.  International 
Organization for 
Standardization, 
“Plastics –
Vocabulary”, 
document 
ISO:472:2013, 
s.2.170 6. 
 Re-use Re-use means use of a product more than 
once in its original form . International 
Organization for 
Standardization, 
“Plastics –
Vocabulary”, 
document 
ISO:472:2013, 
s.2.1708.  
 
 
 
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