Thailand drafts Sustainable Packaging Management Act

Pollution Control Department, Ministry of Natural Resources and Environment of Thailand opened the draft of Sustainable Packaging Management Act for public hearing on the website on 18 March 2024. The draft act targets at least 5 types of packaging which must be managed sustainably, namely glass, metal, paper, plastic, and composite materials. All activities throughout the life cycle, starting from product design and ending with waste management, is expected to be included. For packaging that still needs to be used, there must be a ‘sustainable packaging management’ system in place based on the concept of extended producer responsibility (EPR). The ‘entrepreneurs responsible for sustainable packaging management’, meaning those who will carry the responsibility from this Act, is based on the ownership of the product label, as the owner is responsible for deciding the design of the product, its packaging material, transport, and marketing of said product.

Definitions

Packaging and Sustainable packaging management are defined as follows;