(From left) Mahesh Pradhan, UNEP COBSEA Programme Coordinator, Alvaro Zurita, MA-RE-DESIGN Project Director, Nattawat Sasithorn from Lay Trang Diving, Srithaya Ritchuayrod from Trang Municipality, Taweechai Jiaranaikhajorn, Director of the Waste Minimisation Subdivision, Pollution Control Department (PCD), Sumana Kajornwattanakul, Director of the Research and Development Center, Department of Marine and Coastal Resources (DMCR), Orapim Karuehanan Deputy-Mayor Koh Tao Municipality, Ramruek Assawashin, President of the Koh Tao Tourism Association and Tanja Ploetz from WWF Germany.

After nearly two years of shared commitment, the Marine Litter Prevention through Reduction, Sustainable Design, and Recycling of Plastic Packaging (MA-RE-DESIGN) project, implemented by GIZ Thailand, has woven together partnerships across Thailand’s environmental landscape. Since the project started, it has brought visions for transformation into action through the work of public agencies, private innovators and passionate civil society advocates.

As the project has entered its final year of implementation, the Annual Project Planning Workshop on 15 July 2025 became more than just a progress meeting ¬– it was a moment to pause, reflect, and chart the path forward together. In the welcoming space of Hotel Nikko Bangkok, all the project’s committed partners gathered to ensure that collective efforts continue making waves long after the project’s conclusion.

Charting the MA-RE-DESIGN path for lasting impact
This workshop marked a key turning point, reviewing Year 2 outcomes and designing Year 3 strategies that link vision with practical actions. Central to the agenda was sustainability, ensuring partners would be able to continue results beyond September 2026 for lasting change. The event brought perspectives from the Pollution Control Department (PCD) and Marine and Coastal Resources (DMCR) teams to innovative minds at the Thailand Institute of Packaging and Recycling Management for Sustainable Environment (TIPMSE) under the Federation of Thai Industries (FTI). Academics contributed their insights from respected institutions – from Chulalongkorn to Burapha and Mae Fah Luang University. Meanwhile, advocates from the 3R Foundation, WWF Thailand, and GIZ Thailand also exchanged viewpoints. Key outputs included:

Output: Preventing single-use plastics – supporting sustainable packaging
Participants reviewed lessons and proposed next steps:

• Developing a sustainable packaging design guide and using digital tools to reach young packaging designers
• Integrating eco-design principles into university curricula, with project support
• Initiating dialogue to explore opportunities to establish a national certification agency for eco-design packaging to support EPR

Output: Mobilising the tourism sector
WWF Germany and Thailand worked with tourism businesses to develop a workplan to implement in Koh Tao and Trang (August 2025 to September 2026) on six main approaches: ‘refill and reuse measures’, sustainable food & beverage management, waste management, staff training, clean-up events and supplier engagement.

Output: Policy and Extended Producer Responsibility (EPR) system development
Discussions focused on an implementation plan including EPR fee models and Producer Responsibility Organization (PRO) structure, with the PCD, TIPMSE and universities. The aim was a context-relevant EPR model for both short- and long-term use. Sustainability will be supported through a national EPR communication strategy, train-the-trainer approach, and online learning platforms.

Output: Reducing plastic pollution in pilot municipalities
Led by the WWF through ‘Plastic Smart Cities’ in Koh Tao and Trang (August 2025 to September 2026), activities include:

• Integrating ‘Plastic Smart City’ Action Plans into local waste systems
• Engaging 30+ local businesses and launching a recognition programme
• Training municipal staff and informal waste workers, piloting innovations like tracking apps
• Organising awareness campaigns such as World Oceans Day and World Cleanup Day
• Conducting Litter Leakage Analysis and creating city-level dashboards

Output: Regional knowledge exchange, and outreach on marine litter prevention increased across 9 COBSEA countries
The United Nations Environment Programme: Coordinating Body on the Seas of East Asia (UNEP COBSEA) developed four case studies, plastic-free school guidance, and training on marine litter monitoring (August 2024 to July 2025), with major engagements including ‘SEA of Solutions 2024’ and ‘Our Ocean 2025’. From August 2025 to September 2026, additional case studies will be produced, the COBSEA regional node will be further developed, and results disseminated via ‘SEA of Solutions 2025’, ASEAN/COBSEA events, and IGM-27.

The workshop crystallised a fundamental learning: sustainable environmental change happens through the deliberate alignment of diverse expertise towards shared goals – not isolated efforts. The refined Year 3 strategy and sustainability framework demonstrate how regulatory authority, industry innovation and civil society advocacy converge into lasting transformative power. In September 2026, each stakeholder’s contribution will amplify others’ to transform the collective vision for marine plastic reduction into an enduring environmental legacy for Thailand.

Gallery Photos: Selected Photos for Article