Skip to content
Menu
Menu

Recycling levels remain poor in Macao despite government efforts 

Nearly 40 percent of local residents indicated in a survey that they seldom recycle or don’t recycle at all, letting their household garbage mostly go to landfill
  • The survey researchers call for the government to adopt the best practices of mainland China, where recycling is making rapid strides

ARTICLE BY

PUBLISHED

ARTICLE BY

PUBLISHED

UPDATED: 30 Dec 2024, 3:37 pm

Almost 40 percent of Macao residents rarely recycle or don’t recycle at all, according to a recent survey by the General Union of Neighbourhood Associations. 

Conducted between August and September, the survey involved 612 local residents who responded to questions regarding environmental stewardship.

The results revealed that 30.56 percent of respondents recycled consistently, with 14.87 percent and 16.67 percent of survey takers saying they recycled often or sometimes. Meanwhile 15.69 percent of residents indicated that they seldom engage in recycling, while another 22.22 percent said they never attempt to reduce the amount of household waste sent to landfill. 

When it comes to the disposal of different types of waste, the study found that around 45.26 percent of locals took their old clothes, shoes and leather products to a recycling station or organisation. The rates for electronic devices were similar, with 43.14 percent of respondents stating that they recycled such products. The recycling rate for large furniture and larger electronic equipment, however, was the highest, reaching 49.51 percent. 

As for food waste, 67.81 percent of residents said they threw such leftovers directly in the bin. Around 44 percent said they always or frequently requested single-use cutlery when ordering takeaway, with only around 35 percent of people indicating that they rarely or never made such a request. 

[See more: World Environment Day: Discussing the state of Macao’s environment with Joe Chan]

Some 47.39 percent of respondents said they tossed the packaging for goods ordered online directly into the trash, but almost 70 percent of participants stated that they brought their own reusable bag consistently or often when shopping in person. 

In order to further encourage recycling in Macao, Chan Meng Kei, an environmental advisor, told local media the government should “expand the capacity of recycling bins in housing estates.” 

Legislator Ngan Iek Hang, who also helped to announce the results of the study last Saturday, suggested the authorities could look to the measures implemented by mainland China, which he said has seen “rapid development of waste recycling…especially in residential areas.” 

Indeed, Macao residents generated an average of 1.77 kilograms of solid waste in 2022, a figure that is higher than in Hong Kong and Guangzhou, which produced 1.53 kilograms and 0.98 kilograms respectively. 

Despite government efforts to boost recycling rates through the banning of the import of single-use plastic utensils and the expansion of recycling centres, the Environmental Protection Bureau reports that the recycling level in Macao’s three-coloured recycling bin system – for paper, metal and plastic waste – has only remained between 18 to 20 percent in recent years. 

UPDATED: 30 Dec 2024, 3:37 pm

Send this to a friend