The global plastics trade surged to an estimated $1.13 trillion in 2023, more than doubling its value over the past two decades, with a growing environmental impact.
While the material is now entrenched across nearly every supply chain in the world, a new United Nations report has raised the alarm over its environmental toll, warning that three-quarters of all plastic ever produced has ended up as waste.
The revelations are contained in a new “Global Trade Update” report released by the United Nations Conference on Trade and Development (UNCTAD), which paints a grim picture of the international plastic economy. In 2023 alone, over 323 million metric tons of plastics were traded globally, with more than 78 percent of all plastic produced crossing international borders.
The UN describes this as clear evidence of how deeply plastics have permeated global commerce, from raw polymer pellets to everyday consumer items.
“The value of plastics trades more than doubled since 2005 to $1.13 trillion,” UNCTAD notes, attributing the spike to plastics’ widespread application across all industries. But that rapid growth, it warns, has come at a steep cost for the environment.
75 Percent of Plastics Become Waste
UNCTAD’s assessment bluntly noted that 75 percent of all plastic ever produced has ended up as waste. And while plastics are consumed globally, the consequences are disproportionately borne by coastal developing countries and Small Island Developing States (SIDS), which often lack the capacity to manage the growing volume of plastic waste washing up on their shores, despite contributing minimally to its production.
The report also explores alternatives, noting the promise of materials such as paper, glass, aluminum, bamboo, seaweed, and natural fibers. These alternatives are biodegradable, compostable, or recyclable, and many have been safely used by both industries and consumers for decades.
Although bio-based and compostable plastics currently account for only 1.5 percent of global plastic production, UNCTAD notes that these materials are rapidly gaining interest, particularly in emerging markets where environmental harm from conventional plastics is most severe.
Global Call for Action
UNCTAD has urged immediate international cooperation, calling the plastics crisis a “borderless” problem that demands coordinated global action. The agency is pushing for the adoption of a legally binding Global Plastic Treaty that would use trade and investment policies—and digital customs tools—to support a just transition away from plastic pollution.
“Plastic pollution is a borderless crisis, and trade must be part of the solution,” UNCTAD emphasized, arguing that without structural change, current trends in plastic consumption and disposal could grow even more catastrophic in the coming years.
Lagos Takes the Lead with Statewide Ban
While global solutions are still being negotiated, some local governments are moving ahead with policy action. In Nigeria, the Lagos State Government began fully enforcing its ban on single-use plastics on July 1, signaling a new era in the fight against urban plastic pollution.
Commissioner for the Environment and Water Resources, Tokunbo Wahab, announced last year, the enforcement during a press briefing, warning that any store, market, or business found storing, selling, or distributing banned items such as Styrofoam packs, plastic straws, nylon bags, or disposable cutlery would be sealed. Offenders will also be punished under state environmental laws.
“Let me also emphasize that any market or store found engaging in sale or distribution of single-use plastics of less than 40 microns will be sealed up,” Wahab stated. “The offenders will be punished according to the environmental laws of Lagos State.”
The Commissioner explained that the state government’s decision to ban Styrofoam and other non-biodegradable plastics was driven by environmental concerns and the safety of Lagos residents. He said the government would not compromise on its responsibility to ensure a healthier and more sustainable future for the city.
With more governments like Lagos taking bold action and mounting evidence of the environmental cost of plastics, the pressure is now on global institutions to match local resolve with coordinated international policy. It is not clear whether a Global Plastic Treaty can materialize, but the call for urgent reform is growing louder.
