Why sustainable alternatives to plastic are struggling to compete

Published 8 June 2026 · india

Only 10 per cent of all plastics produced are recycled, so most plastics will end up littering streets, entering waterways and reaching the ocean. Each

Only 10 per cent of all plastics produced are recycled, so most plastics will end up littering streets, entering waterways and reaching the ocean. Each year, some 52 million tonnes of plastic waste enter the ocean, where it stays and affects more than 4,000 marine species. A blue whale, the world’s largest mammal, can consume up to 10 million microplastic pieces daily, equivalent to about 43 kilograms. To tackle plastic pollution, material innovation, increasing alternatives to single-use plastic and reducing production are essential, according to the latest World Ocean Assessment, which was released on Monday. UN World Oceans Day/Joerg Blessing For the past six years, the international community has been working toward a global plastics treaty that could cap plastic production and help “turn the tap off” on an industry valued at more than $1.1 trillion in 2023. Negotiations are ongoing, with the next round of talks scheduled for 13 to 24 March 2027. In the meantime, sustainable alternatives to plastics could help to reduce our global dependence, curbing the pernicious effects of plastic pollution on our oceans. However, alternatives must still overcome several major obstacles. Tariffs hamper alternatives One key challenge preventing sustainable alternatives from competing with conventional plastics is whether they can compete on cost in current markets. Although the global trade in plastic substitutes reached $485 billion in 2023, growing the sector requires action to address tariff and non-tariff measures, limited market access and weak regulatory incentives. “The key barrier is an uneven national and trade policy field,” the UN Trade and Development agency (UNCTAD) said.

Differences in tariffs are stark. Tariffs on plastic and rubber products have fallen over the past 30 years, from 34 per cent to 7.2 per cent. Meanwhile, alternatives such as paper, bamboo, natural fibres and seaweed face average tariffs double the rate at 14.4 per cent, “making viable environmentally preferable alternatives less competitive,” UNCTAD said. “Plastics have benefited from decades of market maturation, scale, infrastructure and favourable trade conditions,” UNCTAD said. Amid this favourable climate for plastics, production continues to increase. UNCTAD “The challenge is transforming a global packaging system that has been built around cheap, fossil-fuel-based plastics for decades,” said Ben Taylor, a representative of Notpla, a UK-based company that works with UNCTAD and makes biodegradable packaging out of seaweed and plants. The biodegradable problem Another challenge is that substitutes need very specific conditions to biodegrade - conditions that are often not found in the ocean. “Many of the new biodegradable plastics only break down really in industrial composting conditions, with controlled temperature, moisture and microbial communities. And so, when you put them in the ocean, they don't necessarily behave the same,” warned Ian Butler, a chief editor of the World Ocean Assessment. Adding to this are concerns that some plant-based plastics substitutes can compete for land use for food production, which may result in larger downstream impacts. “The belief that these biodegradable and plant-based plastics are the solution, it's unfortunately giving the idea that we've solved the problem, everything is good, but that's not the reality,” Mr. Butler added.