UNCTAD round table: Material substitutes to single-use plastics in developing countries
Channel: UNCTAD
Date: 2021-12-16

Plastics are ubiquitous in modern life due to their use in a diversity of products, ranging from fast-moving consumer goods, durable products, construction materials, vehicles, clothing, packaging for food and beverages, and various others. The exponential usage of plastics over the last century, however, now presents a double-edged sword for the global society – though it has many beneficial applications, the negative environmental impact of plastic pollution and its accumulation in nature, especially in the world’s oceans, poses significant risks to human and environmental health, as well as a drag for economic development. Though attempts to address plastic pollution has increasingly gained prominence, most efforts have so far focused on post-consumption or end-of-life solutions, especially in developing countries.  

Nonetheless, there is a concerted push to also explore up and/or midstream solutions that facilitate the substitution of plastics for other, potentially more sustainable feedstocks and end-use products which can perform similar functions. This informal roundtable will discuss opportunities in Sub-Saharan Africa and South Asia, particularly natural fibres, to assess the viability of alternative feedstocks and end-use products. 

The roundtable is jointly organized by UNCTAD Circular and Oceans Economy programmes, together with the Forum on Trade, Environment, and the SDGs (TESS). By bringing together stakeholders across various sectors and geographies engaged in the plastics challenge, the event will also preview findings from an upcoming report focused on material substitutes for sub-Saharan Africa and South Asia, which explored trade aspects of material transition in countries such as Bangladesh, Kenya and Nigeria. 

More: bit.ly/3lH60OG