Sustainable Manufacturing and Environmental Pollution Programme

UNCTAD

Spent batteries: a global strategy for navigating the emerging e-mobility divide

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Spent Batteries A global strategy for navigating the emerging e-mobility divide Electric vehicle (EV) batteries are becoming one of the fastest-growing and least-governed waste streams globally. While Global North (classified by UN Trade and Development, UNCTAD) markets are building formal lithium-ion recycling systems, many Global South markets still rely on cheaper but highly toxic lead-acid […]

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Visible value chains: Traceability as a tool for sustainable trade and inclusive industrial transformation

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Visible value chains Traceability as a tool for sustainable trade and inclusive industrial transformation As regulatory standards increasingly shape global trade, the ability to verify how and where a product was made is becoming a prerequisite for market access. In this context, traceability – the ability to track and verify product-related information across supply chains

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Global Secondhand Clothes Trade Monitor

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Global Secondhand Clothes Trade Monitor Global trade in secondhand clothing (SHC) plays a vital role in promoting textile circularity. By extending the lifespan of garments, it helps reduce the pressure on landfills in exporting countries and provides affordable clothing options in importing countries where new garments are often financially inaccessible for a large majority of

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Trade in Secondhand Clothing: Analysis of markets in Uganda, the United Republic of Tanzania and the United States of America

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Trade in Secondhand Clothing Analysis of markets in Uganda, the United Republic of Tanzania and the United States of America Global trade in secondhand clothing (SHC) plays a vital role in promoting textile circularity. By extending the lifespan of garments, it helps reduce the pressure on landfills in exporting countries and provides affordable clothing options

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Joint Policy Brief: Controlling Single-Use Plastics at a Regional Level in East Africa

Policy brief / By

Joint Policy Brief Controlling Single-Use Plastics at a Regional Level in East Africa Plastic pollution presents a growing environmental and economic challenge across the East African Community (EAC), degrading ecosystems, contaminating water bodies, and imposing rising costs on public waste management systems. Recently, in the context of the Hormuz Strait conflict, prices of plastic items

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Biodegradability and compostability: Definitions and Standards Toolkit for Policymakers

Toolkit / By

Biodegradability and Compostability: Definitions and standards toolkit for policymakers This definitions and standards toolkit for policymakers is based on the SMEP Report “Reduction Management: Regional policies and standards on biodegradation and compostability in East and West Africa”. Developed by UNCTAD, the following list of recommended definitions has been based on the assessment of the most

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From traceability to biotechnology: Trade-led innovative solutions for sustainable leather

Policy brief / By

From Traceability to Biotechnology Trade-led innovative solutions for sustainable leather Leather was one of the first materials used by humankind, alongside natural fibres. The leather industry involves some of the oldest examples of a circular economy, adding value to meat, primarily through by-products such as animal hides and skins from slaughterhouses, while solving a significant

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Plastic substitution in developing countries: Sectoral opportunities and challenges

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Plastic substitution in developing countries Sectoral opportunities and challenges Plastic pollution poses significant threats to environmental health, human well-being, and economic stability. Emerging research has detected microplastics in human blood and brain tissues, raising concerns about potential long-term health effects. Despite numerous international initiatives aimed at governing plastic use, critical issues persist, primarily due to

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