47

Waste treatment and management is not only an important part of urban environmental

management, but also a major environmental issue of global concern. The Government of Macao

SAR pledges to promote constant improvement of waste collection, transportation, treatment and

disposal; improve related environmental infrastructures; facilitate the publicity and education in

waste reduction at source and resource recycling; enhance regional cooperation; formulate the

“Macao Solid Waste Resources Management Programme”; as well as to promote gradually the

policy of “Polluter Pays Principle”, so as to achieve sustained and improved waste management.

As a matter of fact, Macao, being a tiny area, shall handle the waste treatment properly. Aside

from effective policies, it is also important to encourage the participation of every resident and

enterprise to make their efforts to minimize the waste generation at sources as well as to exercise

waste separation in their daily life and business operation, in order to advance the wise utilization of

resources and effective waste management. The evolution of each indicator of waste will be

analyzed in this chapter.

Waste Generation

Recycling and Ultimate Disposal of Waste

Indicators for environmental analysis in this chapter

48

4.1 Waste Generation

DPSIR Framework

Waste generated in Macao (mainly refers to urban domestic waste) is transferred to Macao

Refuse Incineration Plant for treatment. As shown in Figure 4.1 and Table 4.1, the waste transferred

to Macao Refuse Incineration Plant for treatment maintained a continuous upward trend in recent

years and gained a two-digit growth rate of 11.3% in 2015, which decelerated when compared with

that in 2014. It is worthy of concern that the quantity of urban domestic waste per capita had

increased by 8.1% in 2015, which was significantly higher than that of the other regions (Table 4.2).

Figure 4.1 Waste transferred to Macao Refuse

Incineration Plant for treatment and urban

domestic waste per capita in the past years

(Data source: DSPA, 2016)

Table 4.1 Numerical data and percentage increase/decrease of waste transferred to Macao

Refuse Incineration Plant for treatment, urban domestic waste per capita, special

and hazardous waste and waste generated by the electricity supply company

between 2014 and 2015

2014 2015 Percentage

increase/decrease

Special and hazardous waste (tonne) 3,118 3,101 -0.5%

Urban domestic waste per capita (kg/capita·day) 1.97 2.13 +8.1%

Waste transferred to Macao Refuse Incineration Plant for

treatment 1 (tonne)

1

457,420 509,152 +11.3%

Waste generated by the electricity supply company (tonne) 2,164 6,721 +210.6%

Note: (1) 1

Waste transferred to the Macao Refuse Incineration Plant for treatment comprises urban

domestic waste, medical waste and dehydrated sludge.

(Fonte: DSPA, 2016)

S States PP PPrreessssuurreess R Responses

I Impacts

D Driving forces

49

Table 4.2 Environmental knowledge

Quantity of urban domestic waste per capita in 2014

City/Region Urban domestic waste per capita

(kg/capita·day) Data source

Macao1 2.13 Report on the State of the Environment of Macao

2015, Macao

Beijing2 0.93 Beijing Statistical Yearbook 2015, Beijing

Shanghai2 0.69 National Bureau of Statistics of China –

National Data 2014, China

Guangzhou2 0.90 Guangzhou Statistics Information Handbook

2015, Guangzhou

Hong Kong3 1.35 Monitoring of Solid Waste in Hong Kong –

Waste Statistics for 2014, Hong Kong

Singapore4 1.52 Yearbook of Statistics Singapore, 2015,

Singapore

Notes:

(1) 1 This is 2015 data, urban domestic waste per capita = quantity of urban domestic waste ÷ (mid-year

population × days of the year).

(2) 2 Daily mean quantity of domestic waste for removal per capita = removal quantity of domestic waste

÷ [resident population (end-year) × days of the year].

(3) 3 Daily mean quantity of urban solid waste per capita = quantity of urban solid waste (daily mean

quantity) ÷ mid-year population; urban solid waste includes: domestic waste + commercial waste +

industrial waste.

(4) 4 Waste for disposal per capita = disposal quantity of waste (domestic waste + non-domestic waste) ÷

(mid-year population × days of the year).

Figure 4.2 and Table 4.3 show the physical composition of urban domestic waste. In 2015,

organic substances occupied a main proportion in the urban domestic waste, followed by plastics

and paper/cardboard.

Table 4.3 Physical composition of urban domestic waste between 2014 and 2015

(Unit: %) 2014 2015

Wood 22.3 5.8

Metals 1.7 2.5

Glass and rubble 3.3 6.7

Fabrics 3.1 4.4

Paper / cardboard 58.7 17.2

Plastics 7.9 18.0

Organic substances 3.1 45.4

(Data source: DSPA, 2016)

50

Note: (1) The physical composition of urban domestic waste

was based on the result of spot-checking twice a

year.

Figure 4.2 Physical composition of urban domestic

waste in the past years

(Data source: DSPA, 2016)

Besides, there is also a variety of other types of waste generated in Macao, mostly comprising

waste generated by electricity supply company, waste vehicles as well as special and hazardous

waste. Details can be found in Figures 4.3-4.5, Tables 4.1 and 4.4.

The volume of waste generated by electricity supply company in 2015 increased to more than

3 times compared with that in 2014. The local production of electricity in 2015 saw an increase of

approximately 73%, which is one of the factors driving the increasing volume of waste generation.

The quantity of waste vehicles had a considerable increment in 2015, while the quantity of special

and hazardous waste transferred for treatment was similar to that in 2014.

Table 4.4 Numerical data and percentage increase/decrease of quantity of waste vehicles

between 2014 and 2015

(Unit: no.) 2014 2015 Percentage

increase/decrease

Total number of waste vehicles 9,390 11,315 +20.5%

• Light motorcycles 2,597 2,676 +3.0%

• Heavy motorcycles 2,709 3,243 +19.7%

• Light vehicles 3,920 5,143 +31.2%

• Heavy vehicles 153 223 +45.8%

• Semi-trailers 9 21 +133.3%

• Industrial machines 2 9 +350.0%

(Data source: DSAT, 2016)

51

Note: (1) The Special and Hazardous Waste

Treatment Plant in Macao has been put

into operation since May of 2007.

Note: (1) Operation of the Macao power station has

been terminated since 2007.

Figure 4.3 Quantity of special and hazardous

waste transferred for treatment

in the past years

(Data source: DSPA, 2016)

Figure 4.4 Solid waste generated by the

electricity supply company in

the past years

(Data source: CEM, 2016)

Figure 4.5 Quantity of waste vehicles in the

past years

(Data source: DSAT, 2016)

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4.2 Recycling and Ultimate Disposal of Waste

DPSIR Framework

After incineration of waste, the remaining fly ash, slag, construction waste, sea mud will be

ultimately disposed in landfill. Figure 4.6 and Table 4.5 show the variation of waste over the years.

Although the volume of construction waste reduced in 2015, volume of fly ash and slag still

increased, driven by the increasing volume of waste incineration. Meanwhile, sea mud generated in

civil construction works had a dramatic increment, the waste disposed in landfill was thus higher

than that in 2014.

Note: (1) Sea mud is a kind of excavation material generated in civil works, its data was

published since 2009.

Figure 4.6 Waste disposed in landfill in the past years

(Data source: DSPA, 2016)

Table 4.5 Numerical data and percentage increase/decrease of volume of construction waste,

sea mud, slag and fly ash between 2014 and 2015

2014 2015 Percentage

increase/decrease

Construction waste (m3) 2,597,652 1,630,710 -37.2%

Fly ash (tonne) 19,671r 23,195 +17.9%

Slag (tonne) 91,601 122,713 +34.0%

Sea mud (m3) 1,708,785 3,098,966 +81.4%

Note: (1) r Revised figures.

(Data source: DSPA, 2016)

In terms of recycling of waste, the total volume of waste (including paper, plastics, waste

metals and so on) for recycling was higher in 2015 than that in 2014, according to the DSEC import

and export data. However, the recovery rate of recyclable waste of Macao in 2015 had a slight

decrease compared with that in 2014 due to the increasing volume of waste generation (Figure 4.7).

S States P Pressures R Responses

I Impacts

D Driving forces

53

The Environmental Protection Bureau (DSPA) and the Civic and Municipal Affairs Bureau

(IACM) promoted a variety of activities in order to encourage residents participating in resources

recycling and improve the recovery rate of recyclable waste. As shown in Figure 4.6, the volume of

glass, metals and aluminum/iron cans in 2015 gained a double-digit growth compared with that in

2014. However, the recycling volume of paper and plastics in 2015 declined in varying degrees due

to the effect of market price. In general, the increase of recycling volume of waste is obviously

insufficient, compared with the total volume of waste generation.

Notes:

(1) It includes plastics, rubber, paper, metals and

other recoverable waste.

(2) Since the waste collected in Macao has been

mainly exported to the mainland and other

countries for recycling, the above data is

analyzed with reference to the DSEC import

and export data, including statistics of

recyclable paper (code: 4707), recyclable

plastics (codes: 3915, 4012), and recyclable

metals (codes: 7204, 7404, 7602), etc. Only

initial estimates are provided as relevant

statistics is limited.

Figure 4.7 Recovery rate of recyclable waste

in the past years

(Data source: DSEC, 2016)

54

Table 4.6 Volume of recycled waste between 2014 and 2015 1

2014 2015 Percentage

increase/decrease

Recycled plastics (kg) 357,794 293,049 -18.1%

Recycled paper (kg) 3,013,095 2,905,464 -3.6%

Recycled glass (kg) 504,966 569,040 +12.7%

Recycled metals (kg) 113,273 152,677 +34.8%

Recycled aluminum/iron cans

(no.) 675,221 965,350 +43.0%

Note: (1) 1 Including the volume of waste recycled in the “EcoFun-Waste sorting can be fun” scheme

organized by DSPA, as well as that in the “Waste Separation and Recycling Programme” and

“Glass bottles recycling” scheme organized by IACM.

(Data sources: DSPA and IACM, 2016)

The “Waste-to-Energy” incineration mode has been adopted in the treatment of

urban domestic waste in Macao. However, the urban domestic waste per capita of Macao

is substantially higher than that of the neighboring cities, and the issue of waste is

becoming increasingly severe. The volume of waste transferred to the Macao Refuse

Incineration Plant for treatment increased tremendously from around 0.3 million tonnes

in 2011 to more than 0.5 million tonnes in 2015, nearly reaching the maximum capacity

of the Plant. Meanwhile, other types of waste (such as waste vehicles, construction

waste) also increased in recent years.

In conclusion, Macao is lack of the social atmosphere of waste reduction at source

and resources recycling in Macao is still lacking at present. Notwithstanding the increase

in recycling volume of recyclable waste, it still falls far behind the volume of waste

generation. Therefore, the recovery rate of waste stands still. It is suggested that efforts

should be made to timely establish waste management policies and implement measures

in respect of facilitating publicity and education, promoting waste reduction at source,

optimizing the environmental infrastructures, considering the economic incentives,

improving relevant laws and regulations, introducing the policy of “Polluter Pays

Principle”, as well as reinforcing regional cooperation, in an effort to cope with the

above issues in an all-round and long-term way.