The Environmental Protection Bureau (DSPA) is planning to charge a fee for the disposal of hazardous waste and will consider promoting a producer responsibility scheme (PRS) requiring relevant stakeholders to collect, recycle, treat and dispose of the city’s electronic and electrical products, DSPA Director Raymond Tam Vai Man said during a Legislative Assembly Q&A plenary session yesterday.
Tam pointed out that a preliminary study on the producer responsibility system will be launched this year, with reference to the experience of neighbouring countries and regions, taking into account the actual situation of Macau.
“If there would be space, we could increase the waste collection points” in the city, Secretary for Transport and Public Works Raimundo do Rosário said in response to a question raised by directly-elected lawmaker-cum-banker Ngan Iek Hang about the possibility of increasing the city’s fixed or mobile waste collection points and expanding the waste recycling network in the city.
At present, according to Tam, there are 16 mobile waste collection points, and the city’s fixed waste collection points include his bureau’s seven “Green Points”, the Municipal Affairs Bureau’s (IAM) Public Service Centres, and other government service stations in cooperation with different local organisations. Tam said his bureau will actively seek the cooperation of more organisations to increase the number of waste collection points.
Tam pointed out that due to the lack of land resources and the high population density in Macau, the waste recycling volume, and the industrial support may not be strong enough to form a local recycling industry chain. However, Tam said, his bureau will seek another way out, that is, to improve its work in waste pre-treatment and cooperate with other countries and regions to do a better job in resource reuse and recycling of pre-treated items.
Environmental Protection Bureau (DSPA) Director Raymond Tam Vai Man (left) speaks during yesterday afternoon’s plenary Q&A session in the legislature’s hemicycle, as Secretary for Transport and Public Works Raimundo do Rosário looks on. – Photo courtesy of TDM
