To support Thailand’s transition towards a circular economy, GIZ and its partners are strengthening eco-design understanding among students and educators. Through a series of eco-design packaging short courses, participants gained practical knowledge on sustainable packaging design, lifecycle thinking and materials selection. The initiative has helped integrate eco-design principles into curricula and prepare the next generation of professionals to drive sustainable packaging solutions in Thailand.
The workshops were implemented in collaboration with the Center of Excellence on Petrochemical and Materials Technology (PETROMAT), Chulalongkorn University, and the Thai Packaging Design Association (Thai PDA), with support from the Marine Litter Prevention through Reduction, Sustainable Design and Recycling of Plastic Packaging (MA-RE-DESIGN) Project.
Building eco-design capacity across education levels
(Left) High school students present knowledge gained from the short course workshop
(Right) University students participate in the workshop
In January and February 2026, three workshops engaged different groups in Thailand’s education ecosystem:
- 28 January 2026 – an eco-design short course for high school students at Bodindecha (Sing Singhaseni) School, Nonthaburi
- 12 February 2026 – an eco-design short course for university students at King Mongkut’s Institute of Technology Ladkrabang (KMITL), Bangkok
- 26 February 2026 – a workshop for university lecturers at the Mandarin Hotel Bangkok
Across the high school and university workshops, more than 80 participants explored key topics such as eco-design trends, relevant policy frameworks, materials selection and lifecycle thinking. The sessions combined lectures with interactive learning activities, including packaging materials learning stations, where students engaged directly with real packaging materials provided by industry partners.
Participants were also introduced to Life Cycle Assessment (LCA) through an interactive LCA card game, which helped demonstrate how design decisions influence environmental impacts across the entire lifecycle of packaging – from raw materials to recycling.
(Left) High school students play the interactive LCA card game
(Right) University students gain hands-on experience through packaging materials learning stations
The Train-the-Trainers workshop gathered around 20 university lecturers from twelve universities across Thailand to discuss how eco-design principles could be integrated into existing academic curricula. Participants explored practical approaches to incorporating sustainable packaging design and materials selection into university programmes. The workshop also introduced training tools and teaching materials that lecturers can use to expand the training within their own universities.
Strengthening industry-academia collaboration
Industry partners from seven companies contributed to the workshops by showcasing different packaging materials and technologies. This enabled participants to better understand the opportunities and limitations of various materials in sustainable packaging design.
Supporting industry partners included: E.P.C. Corporation Co., Ltd, J.T.P. (1991) Co., Ltd., Thai Nam Poly Pack Co., Ltd., A.Best Inter Products Co., Ltd., Tesa Tape (Thailand) Co., Ltd., Avery Dennison (Thailand) Ltd. and SOMIC Packaging Asia Pacific Co., Ltd.
The collaboration between students, educators and industry practitioners plays an essential role in preparing future designers to meet emerging sustainability requirements in the packaging sector.
Advancing sustainable packaging in Thailand
By strengthening capacity across schools, universities and industry, the initiative contributes to Thailand’s broader efforts to reduce single-use plastic packaging and promote circular packaging systems.
Equipping young designers and lecturers with practical knowledge and teaching tools helps ensure that sustainability becomes embedded in future packaging design practices. As these concepts are integrated into academic programmes, they can influence a new generation of professionals who will shape the future of Thailand’s packaging sector.
VDO
The Marine Litter Prevention through Reduction, Sustainable Design and Recycling of Plastic Packaging (MA-RE-DESIGN) project aims to avoid plastic waste and improve the prevention of plastic waste leakage. The project is funded by the German Federal Ministry for the Environment, Climate Action, Nature Conservation and Nuclear Safety (BMUKN) and implemented by GIZ, the World Wildlife Fund (WWF), and the Coordinating Body on the Seas of East Asia Marine Cooperation Group by the United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP COBSEA), in partnership with the Pollution Control Department (PCD) as project partner, and relevant agencies from both public and private sectors.
More information about MA-RE-DESIGN
