Options for Trade-Related Cooperation on Problematic and Avoidable Plastics: Building on Existing Experiences with Single-Use Plastics

This policy brief by the Forum on Trade, Environment, & the SDGs (TESS) examines options for international trade-related cooperation to address plastic pollution, specifically focusing on single-use plastics. It analyzes existing national legislative approaches, proposes criteria for identifying problematic plastics, and outlines pathways for collective action through the World Trade Organization (WTO) and the development of a global plastics treaty.

• Single-use plastics represent a significant portion of global plastic production and environmental leakage. In 2019, they accounted for 35% of the 376 million metric tonnes of plastics produced, with 130 million metric tonnes destined for packaging.
• Countries use three primary approaches to classify single-use plastics for regulation: a product-specific approach focusing on items common in local beach litter (such as the EU's approach), an open-ended approach using examples or criteria (as seen in Vietnam), and an approach based on specific categories and subcategories.
• The European Union's Single-Use Plastics Directive targets products most frequently found on beaches, covering an estimated 86% of single-use plastics found on EU beaches.
• Proposed criteria for identifying problematic plastics for elimination or restriction include their propensity for littering, the presence of harmful chemicals, lack of recyclability at scale, and the availability of affordable non-plastic substitutes.
• Trade-related policy measures (TrPMs) used to address single-use plastics between 2009 and 2021 were predominantly bans and prohibitions, which made up two-thirds (60 of 93) of the measures notified to the WTO and shared by Dialogue on Plastics Pollution (DPP) co-sponsors.
• The WTO's Dialogue on Plastics Pollution (DPP), co-sponsored by 76 members representing approximately 75% of plastics trade, seeks to identify best practices for trade-related cooperation to reduce unnecessary or harmful plastics.
• The authors suggest a tiered approach to action: immediate elimination for unnecessary items like food take-out packaging and balloons; medium-term action for items requiring substitute development (e.g., long-distance transport packaging); and special considerations for public health applications (e.g., medical devices).
• Trade-related cooperation options include import/export bans, tariffs, environmental fees, and government procurement preferences, as well as the removal of fossil fuel subsidies that incentivize virgin plastic production.
• Beyond the WTO and the plastics treaty, the brief recommends cooperation with the World Customs Organization (WCO) to amend Harmonized System (HS) codes for better tracking of single-use plastics, and the International Organization for Standardization to address standards gaps in eco-design and reuse.

APA

Sugathan, M., & Birkbeck, C. D. (2023). Options for Trade-Related Cooperation on Problematic and Avoidable Plastics: Building on Existing Experiences with Single-Use Plastics. Forum on Trade, Environment, & the SDGs. https://lyrical-cormorant.files.svdcdn.com/production/assets/images/Publications/TESS-Policy-Paper-Trade-Related-Cooperation-on-Single-Use-Plastics.pdf?dm=1700660892

Chicago

Sugathan, Mahesh, and Carolyn Deere Birkbeck. Options for Trade-Related Cooperation on Problematic and Avoidable Plastics: Building on Existing Experiences with Single-Use Plastics. Forum on Trade, Environment, & the SDGs, 2023. https://lyrical-cormorant.files.svdcdn.com/production/assets/images/Publications/TESS-Policy-Paper-Trade-Related-Cooperation-on-Single-Use-Plastics.pdf?dm=1700660892.

Wikipedia

{{cite report |last1=Sugathan |first1=Mahesh |last2=Birkbeck |first2=Carolyn Deere |title=Options for Trade-Related Cooperation on Problematic and Avoidable Plastics: Building on Existing Experiences with Single-Use Plastics |publisher=Forum on Trade, Environment, & the SDGs |date=November 2023 |url=https://lyrical-cormorant.files.svdcdn.com/production/assets/images/Publications/TESS-Policy-Paper-Trade-Related-Cooperation-on-Single-Use-Plastics.pdf?dm=1700660892 |access-date=17 August 2026 |via=Climate Insights Directory}}

BibTeX

@techreport{sugathan2023options, author = {Sugathan, Mahesh and Birkbeck, Carolyn Deere}, title = {{Options for Trade-Related Cooperation on Problematic and Avoidable Plastics: Building on Existing Experiences with Single-Use Plastics}}, institution = {Forum on Trade, Environment, \& the SDGs}, year = {2023}, month = nov, url = {https://lyrical-cormorant.files.svdcdn.com/production/assets/images/Publications/TESS-Policy-Paper-Trade-Related-Cooperation-on-Single-Use-Plastics.pdf?dm=1700660892}, urldate = {2026-08-17}, note = {Indexed by Climate Insights Directory} }