INF/TE/IDP/RD/83* 
5 December 2022  
(22-9006) Page: 1/2 
 Original:  English/anglais/inglés  
 
  
UNOFFICIAL ROOM DOCUMENT1 
 
DIALOGUE ON PLASTICS POLLUTION  
AND ENVIRONMENTALLY SUSTAINABLE PLASTICS TRADE  
SUBMISSIONS BY UNCTAD  
Workshop 6 December 2022  
 
 
DOCUMENT DE S ÉANCE NON OFFICIEL1 
 
DIALOGUE ON PLASTICS POLLUTION  
AND ENVIRONMENTALLY SUSTAINABLE PLASTICS TRADE  
SUBMISSIONS BY UNCTAD  
Workshop 6 December 2022  
 
 
DOCUMENTO DE SALA NO OF ICIAL1 
 
DIALOGUE ON PLASTICS POLLUTION  
AND ENVIRONMENTALLY SUSTAINABLE PLASTICS TRADE  
SUBMISSIONS BY UNCTAD  
Workshop 6 December 2022  
 
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* 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 systématiquement 
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 distribuyen 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 efecto s de archivo únicamente.  INF/TE/IDP/RD/83  
 
- 2 - 
 
   
UNCTAD submission to Workshop on sustainable and effective substitutes and 
alternatives for plastics  
-02 December 2022 - 
 
The UNCTAD Secretariat would like to submit the following two draft working definitions for 
discussion at the “Workshop on sustainable and effective substitutes and alternatives for plastics”, 
to be held in WTO premises on 06 December and organized by WTO in cooperat ion with UNCTAD.  
 
1.Plastics substitutes: non -polymer natural materials from mineral, marine, plant, or animal origin, 
that have similar properties of fossil fuel -based plastics. They should have lower environmental 
impact along their life cycle (e.g., nat ural fibers, agricultural wastes, and other forms of biomass). 
Depending on the case, they should be biodegradable/compostable or erodible, and should be 
suitable for reuse, recycling, or sound waste disposal as defined by national, regional regulations or  
in internationally agreed definitions. They can include by -products. Plastic substitutes should not be 
hazardous for human, animal, or plan life.   
 
2.Plastic alternatives: they can include bioplastics or biodegradable plastics. The former term usually 
means polymers materials produced from renewable biomass sources (e.g., vegetable fats and oils, 
corn starch, straw, woodchips, sawdust, and recycled food waste) and should be subject to material 
recycling. The latter usually refers to the end of life of plas tics indicating that they biodegrade in the 
natural environment, or they can be composted. They can include their by -products. Plastic 
alternatives should not be hazardous for human, animal, or plan life.    
 
These definitions are part of a draft technical research paper titled “Plastic pollution – The pressing 
case of natural and environmentally friendly substitutes to plastics” in process being prepared by 
the UNCTAD Secretariat and to be published in 2023. They will be revised, improved, and updated 
after the workshop based on comments and feedback received by Member States and other 
stakeholders.  
 
 
 
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