UNCTAD maps service needs to strengthen plastic pollution response

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UNCTAD plastic pollution services

Highlights

UNCTAD maps 19 types of services to 71 UN Central Product Classification codes across eight plastics value chain stages to target plastic pollution solutions without new classification systems.
Global plastics trade surpasses $1.1 trillion in 2023, but value of related pollution-mitigation services is unknown due to data limitations, especially in developing economies where fewer than 15 countries regularly track bilateral services trade.
Developing countries with weaker plastics-management capacity tend to impose stricter import regimes on services, exacerbating domestic waste management pressures as plastic production rises and plastic waste trade declines between 2013 and 2024.

Study links service gaps to plastics value chain

As reported by UN Trade and Development, the new study maps 19 types of services to 71 existing United Nations Central Product Classification codes across eight stages of the plastics value chain, from product design and production to recycling and remediation. The agency says this approach helps countries identify which specific services support action against plastic pollution without requiring a new international classification system.

UNCTAD argues that plastic pollution begins with goods but that solutions depend heavily on services that are often less visible in trade statistics. These include waste collection, sorting and recycling services, as well as engineering, laboratory testing, research, design and technical support that help reduce plastic use before waste is created.

Luz Maria de la Mora, director of international trade and commodities at UNCTAD, says ending plastic pollution depends not only on managing plastic goods but also on the services that prevent waste, enable recycling and support clean-up. She adds that the mapping converts broad capacity gaps into specific service needs, improves trade data and highlights barriers to access.

Developing economies face data and access constraints

Global trade in plastics exceeds $1.1 trillion in 2023, or about 5% of merchandise trade, but the value of services used specifically to tackle plastic pollution remains unknown. UNCTAD says services trade is harder to measure than goods trade because it relies on surveys and balance-of-payments data rather than customs records at the border.

The information gap is especially severe in developing economies, where fewer than 15 countries regularly report bilateral trade in services with trading partners. UNCTAD says this limits visibility on whether relevant skills, technologies and service inputs are reaching locations where plastic waste management needs are growing.

Between 2013 and 2024, plastic production rises while international trade in plastic waste falls sharply, increasing pressure on countries to manage more waste domestically. Comparing 18 economies, the study finds that countries with weaker plastics-management capacity also tend to maintain more restrictive regimes for importing services, including licensing and qualification rules, technical standards and limits on foreign firms and personnel.

Keiran Smith of Nairobi-based recycler Mr. Green Africa says attention is needed on the services that make prevention, substitution, circularity and sound waste management possible, including who can access them affordably. UNCTAD says the study is intended to support upcoming World Trade Organization discussions and wider negotiations on a legally binding international instrument on plastic pollution.

Our earlier article on Nigeria’s post-harvest losses and the Delta State farmer support programme explained how PEF USA and NSPRI are helping 70 farmers reduce waste through training and improved storage tools. We noted that strengthening practical capabilities and access to the right support services can cut losses across the supply chain, improving sustainability and supporting broader food-security goals.

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