31 July 2025 – From supporting responsible production and consumption to promoting circularity and sustainable alternatives, trade must be part of the solution to plastic pollution, not part of the problem.
In Uttar Pradesh, India, a recycling plant processes plastic waste to be used for making polyester fibre.
The latest Global Trade Update shows that plastic production reached 436 million metric tons worldwide in 2023, with the traded value surpassing $1.1 trillion and accounting for 5% of total merchandise trade.
Despite driving global growth across industries, plastics exact a heavy toll on environmental and planetary health.
Alarmingly, 75% of plastics ever produced have become waste and mostly ended up in the world’s oceans and ecosystems.
Such pollution also threatens food systems and human well-being, especially in small island and coastal developing countries with limited capacity to cope. More: https://unctad.org/news/ending-plastic-pollution-why-trade-matters