GIZ, CU and PCD organise workshops to prepare stakeholders for Sustainable Packaging Management Act
Group photo of EPR training on 7 May 2025, targeting waste collectors, recyclers and civil society
Between February and May 2025, GIZ Thailand, in collaboration with the Sustainable Environment Research Institute, Chulalongkorn University and the Pollution Control Department (PCD), organised a series of workshops under the theme ‘Introduction to Extended Producer Responsibility (EPR) and Circular Economy (CE) Principles to Prepare for the Draft Sustainable Packaging Management Act’. These workshops were part of the MA-RE-DESIGN project, which aims to reduce marine plastic waste through sustainable packaging design, reuse and recycling.
A total of seven workshops were planned for seven target groups. Each session gathered around 40-50 attendees totalling approximately 260 participants from the respective stakeholder groups:
Group photo from the meeting with the Pollution Control Department on 28 March 2025 to give updates on the training outcomes and discuss relevant issues
- Government agencies – 25 February 2025
- Producers of food and beverage products – 26 March 2025
- Producers of cosmetics and personal care products – 27 March 2025
- Producers of other household products, packaging producers and importers (including SMEs) – 2 April 2025
- Local government – 29 April 2025
- Waste collectors/recyclers/civil society – 7 May 2025
- Retail and Hotel/Restaurant/Café (HoReCa) sector – 14 May 2025
Group photo from the meeting with the Pollution Control Department on 28 March 2025 to give updates on the training outcomes and discuss relevant issues
The workshops were designed to build knowledge and understanding of EPR and CE concepts as well as the core elements of the draft Sustainable Packaging Management Act and were aimed at supporting stakeholder readiness for the transition to an effective and sustainable packaging management system. Workshop topics included EPR principles and relevant legal frameworks, EPR components, policy tools that promote CE, and key content of the draft Act such as the establishment and operation of Producer Responsibility Organisations (PROs), fee calculation methods, producer registration examples, data reporting, monitoring and enforcement practices from other countries, EU legislation trends, eco-design, and sustainable packaging design guidelines.
Overview atmosphere of EPR training
The workshops were honoured by experts, including Dr Sujitra Vassanadumrongdee from the Sustainable Environment Research Institute, Chulalongkorn University; Dr Stephan Löhle from cyclos, an EPR expert firm from Germany; Mr Patarapol Tularak, project advisor; and Arisara Lekkham, Vice Dean, School of Law, Mae Fah Luang University. Participants also shared experiences, took pre- and post-training exams, and received certificates of completion from GIZ Thailand and the Sustainable Environment Research Institute. The project team presented the initial outcomes to the Pollution Control Department on 28 March and exchanged knowledge on EPR as well as giving updates on the progress of the draft Sustainable Packaging Management Act.
