26 August 2025, Nikko Hotel Bangkok – The Marine Litter Prevention through Reduction, Sustainable Design, and Recycling of Plastic Packaging (MA-RE-DESIGN) project, implemented by GIZ Thailand, advanced plans for driving Thailand’s packaging waste management systems as government officials, industry leaders and circular economy experts gathered in a workshop to refine the blueprint for the country’s Packaging Responsibility Organisation (PRO).
As Thailand is in the process of drafting the Sustainable Packaging Management Act, the law will shift the principle of Extended Producer Responsibility (EPR) from a voluntary basis to a mandatory one. This means that producers will be responsible for the entire lifecycle of their packaging. To ensure that relevant stakeholders comply properly with the EPR principle, a Packaging Responsibility Organization (PRO) must be established. For this reason, the MA-RE-DESIGN project organized a meeting to discuss the concept of setting up such a PRO.
PRO recommendation: Blueprint for Thailand’s environmental future
Key elements of the PRO proposal include: registering obliged producers and establishing measures to prevent free-riders; developing the Packaging Management Responsibility Plan; operationalising collection and processing systems for packaging waste; establishing monitoring and reporting mechanisms; financing the PRO and setting out a clear timeline.
To effectively develop a plan by all stakeholders, the workshop was divided into breakout sessions. Participants discussed practical questions: How can municipalities coordinate the collection and treatment of packaging waste with a National PRO? What safeguards ensure accountability? The international perspective proved invaluable through the insights shared by German and Dutch experts from their own EPR implementation journey.
The workshop outcome will directly contribute to Thailand’s draft Sustainable Packaging Management Act development, transiting to the right balance between environmental protection and economic reality. Although the private sector is presented with challenges, the law offers an opportunity – with industry representatives sharing progress on voluntary PRO development while acknowledging the need for stronger regulatory frameworks.
As Thailand’s environment faces mounting pressure, the PRO development represents a fundamental shift towards circular economy thinking. The workshop’s outcomes will guide not only national legislation but also regional cooperation across relevant organisations.
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: https://www.thai-german-cooperation.info/marine-litter-prevention-through-reduction-sustainable-design-and-recycling-of-plastic-packaging-ma-re-design/
