Seeing the Plastic System Clearly: Reflections from the Plastic Collage in Bangkok

Robert Steele | 25 April 2026

On 22 April, I had the opportunity (for the second time) to co-facilitate a Plastic Collage workshop at the Alliance Française in Bangkok with Lead Trainer Delphine Pernot, who is a consultant on EPR and plastic circularity from France. Alongside Ms. Watkana Thongkrueng of Systainability Asia, and our Ennova Partners colleague, Martin Vensky-Stalling, we three are currently on our journey toward full certification and licensing as Plastic Collage facilitators. For this second workshop, we had a small but deeply engaged group of four passionate plastic recycling and reduction advocates, both Thai nationals and resident expats.

I have to say, the Plastic Collage tool is quietly powerful. Not because it tells people what to think. But because it allows learner-participants to see the entire plastic value chain system for themselves through an emerging story from production to end of life.

From Material to System

The Plastic Collage is not about blaming plastic. In fact, one of its most important insights is this circular story is that plastics are not inherently bad, as they are, in many ways, brilliant for what they do for us. they are lightweight, durable, cheap, and versatile. No doubt they have improved quality of life across countless applications.

But the system we have built around them? That’s where the problem lies.

The Plastic Collage uses a facilitated and structured conversation-based process that guides participants in collectively mapping the life cycle of plastics, from fossil fuel extraction to production, use, management, disposal or recycling/reusing, repairing, and unfortunately, leakage into the environment. What emerges from this collective exploration is not just information, but a recognition of prevalent patterns that are similar to almost all countries.

The Moment Something “Clicks”

There is always a moment in the collage workshop when something shifts in people’s understanding of the plastic problem. It is a type of “ah-ha” moment. This happens almost from the start of the exercise when people learn that plastics were first developed at scale in the 1950s and 60s as a way to utilize surplus petrochemical by-products, not because there was an initial societal demand for plastics themselves. Since then, plastic has quite literally changed the world, and its production has surged exponentially, rising from around 15 million tonnes in the 1960s to over 480 million tonnes per year today, far outpacing global population growth. A significant share of plastics, particularly packaging, is used for just minutes to months, yet can persist in the environment for decades or even centuries. And despite growing awareness and effort, only a very small fraction (around 6% globally) is actually recycled back into new products, showing us that recycling really isn’t the ultimate solution to the plastic waste problem. At best, it is a coping mechanism for us all.

The Myth of the Circular System

We often speak about a “circular economy” for plastics. But the reality, as the Plastic Collage workshop reveals, it is a very complex process to be able to achieve this goal. This is primarily due to plastic not being a single material, but is a complex family of polymers, often mixed with additives, colours, fillers, and multi-layer designs. These additives improve the performance of plastics, but also make recycling plastics extremely difficult, and often nearly impossible. And even when recycling works, some things gum up the recycling process, including the problems of material degradation (downcycling), contamination, and the fact that most businesses that make plastic products still favour virgin plastic, as they are easier to work with and cheaper in price. As a result, true circularity remains elusive, with plastics leaking into the environment at multiple points along the value chain.

The Illusions We Hold

As the group explored potential responses to this deeply “wicked” plastic problem, several familiar narratives began to unravel under closer scrutiny:

• Biodegradable plastics will solve our plastic problem Not quite. Most require specific industrial conditions to break down. In the ocean, in soil, or in open environments, they often behave much like conventional plastics.

• Does compostable really mean it disappears? Only if the right system exists. Without proper collection and processing, compostable plastics can contaminate waste streams and create more confusion than clarity.

• Technology will fix it! How about those plastic-eating microbes I’ve heard about? Yes, science is advancing. Plastic-eating enzymes and microbes are promising, but they are highly specific, energy-dependent, and far from a systemic solution.

• Microplastics. We now know microplastic are found everywhere – in our water, in the air, in soil, in our food, and even in our bodies. Though the science on human health impacts is still emerging and evolving, enough is known to justify concern. This is not a problem we can clean up later.

What does all of this mean?

For me, the most powerful takeaway from the Collage exercise is this: the global plastic crisis is not simply a waste problem, rather it is fundamentally a design, systems, and mindset challenge. We are attempting to manage downstream consequences of a system that was never designed with upstream responsibility or circularity in mind.

Where Change Actually Begins

What I find most powerful about the workshop is how it subtly, but firmly shifts the conversation. It doesn’t tell people what to think; it helps them see the system more clearly. And once that happens, the nature of the discussion begins to change.

Recycling, which is often seen as the primary solution, is reframed as only a partial response—leading to a deeper recognition of the need to reduce overall production and consumption of plastics. Disposal, once considered inevitable, is reconsidered as a last resort, with greater emphasis placed on reuse and extending the life of products. The focus also moves beyond individual materials to a broader understanding of the systems that shape how plastics are produced, used, and managed. And perhaps most importantly, there is a shift from simply raising awareness to fostering a stronger sense of personal and collective agency.

As participants begin to see the system more clearly, they start asking different, which are often more challenging types of questions. For example: “Why are we producing so much plastic in the first place? What truly needs to be single-use? How can we design systems where materials retain their value over time? And what would it mean to eliminate waste altogether, rather than simply managing it?”

These are the kinds of questions that mark the beginning of real cognitive clarity and change.

From Awareness to Agency

What I value most about the Plastic Collage workshop is its quiet sophistication. It doesn’t overwhelm participants with data, nor does it push predefined solutions. Instead, it creates the conditions for genuine collective intelligence to emerge… creating the space where people can explore, question, and connect the dots for themselves. In that space, something shifts. Participants move from passive concern to active understanding, and from a sense of powerlessness to recognizing their own role within a much larger system. And once that shift happens, the conversation is no longer theoretical—it becomes personal, grounded, and ultimately, more capable of driving meaningful change.

Closing Reflection

We often talk about the need for “system change,” but real change begins with system awareness. And sometimes, creating that awareness doesn’t require complex models or grand interventions, just a table, a set of cards, and a group of people willing to explore together. That is the quiet power of tools like the Plastic Collage. They don’t simply inform, but rather they shift perception. They help us see the patterns, the connections, and our place within the system. And once that clarity emerges, it becomes very difficult to look away, or to return to business as usual.

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Interested in the Plastic Collage Workshop?

If your organization or team is ready to move beyond awareness and begin truly understanding the systems behind plastic use and waste, we invite you to experience the Plastic Collage. As certified and licensed facilitators, Systainability Asia offers engaging, conversation-based workshops that help participants see the full life cycle of plastics, uncover root causes, and identify meaningful pathways for action. Whether you are a company, NGO, school, or community group, this is a powerful starting point for shifting mindsets and accelerating change. To explore hosting a workshop, please contact us at watkana@systainabilityasia.com