In its latest move to curb waste and address excessive amounts of single-use plastic, Macau banned the import of non-degradable styrofoam trays, plastic cups and plates at the start of the year. This builds on last year’s ban of non-degradable plastic cutlery.

Both initiatives were launched to help address the city’s sizeable issue with solid waste. According to the “Report on the State of the Environment of Macao 2022”, residents generated over 1.77 kilograms of solid waste per day that year, higher than neighbouring Hong Kong (1.53kg) and more than double that of Guangzhou (0.86kg).

Previous green policies include a levy on plastic bags, from 2019; banning the use of non-degradable styrofoam meal boxes, bowls and cups at the start of 2021; and prohibiting single-use plastic straws and drink stirrers, starting in January 2022.

“Macau has been taking a progressive and incremental approach over the last three years,” says Angus Ho, executive director of the non-profit Greeners Action.

“Every time, they expand what’s included in the ban. Hong Kong is somewhat lagging behind, only seeing similar measures introduced this year.”

The latest rules further tighten plastic imports due to the negative environmental impacts associated with their life cycle, says Tian Yihui, associate dean of the Faculty of Business at the City University of Macau.

“From production through use and final disposal, non-degradable plastics affect ecosystems, public health and marine life, leading to littering, waterway clogging and posing threats to wildlife,” he says.

According to Macau’s Environmental Protection Bureau (DSPA), plastic products like cups, containers and cutlery accounted for 23.5 per cent of the 550,249 tonnes of municipal solid waste collected in Macau in 2019.

Plastics were the second largest category of waste, trailing only organic matter, and surpassing paper and cardboard.

Much of the city’s waste problem comes down to Macau’s resurgent tourism and hospitality industry as the world dusts itself off from the pandemic. In the past 12 months, the city welcomed between 2 million and 3 million visitors each month, according to data from the Macau Government Tourism Office (MGTO), with hotel occupancy averaging more than 80 per cent.

This has caused the municipal solid waste volume to climb back towards pre-pandemic levels. Macau produced over 501,512 tonnes of municipal solid waste in 2023, marking a nearly 15 per cent increase compared with 2022, according to data from the city’s Statistics and Census Service.

The decision to expand the import ban to plastic tableware came after “an extensive analysis of the real situation in Macau”, the DSPA said in a statement. By phasing out single-use plastics, the city is making strides towards its broader near-zero emission goals before 2050.

“The Macau SAR government attaches great importance to the protection of the ecological environment while promoting Macau’s economic diversification,” says Maria Helena de Senna Fernandes, director of the MGTO.

At the International Cities of Gastronomy Fest, Macau, there will be a slew of sustainability initiatives.

In the run-up to the fair, exhibitors need to acquire carbon credits and follow environmental guidelines to achieve eco-certification, including shunning single-use disposable tableware.

The tourism and hospitality industry has been “supportive of the government’s progressive green measures”, says Desmond Lam, professor of integrated resort and tourism management at the University of Macau.

Despite the city making headway, environmental advocates and scholars insist more comprehensive action is needed.

“The goal shouldn’t just be reducing single-use plastics – we need to reduce use of all single-use items overall, including wooden and paper tableware,” says Ho. “Taiwan’s reusable rental service could be a good next step for Macau.”

That Taiwan programme lends durable cutlery and containers that can be sanitised and reused to F&B businesses and takeaway customers. People who opt to rent these items sometimes get a small rebate as an incentive.

Given that Macau’s Coloane landfill is fast approaching maximum capacity, Tian underscores the urgent need to go beyond expanding bans to “invest in modern waste treatment facilities to improve the city’s waste processing and resource recovery capabilities”.

Regulation can go further too, he suggests.

“Establishing robust legal frameworks, and intensifying oversight and enforcement against plastic pollution are necessary measures, including cracking down on illegal dumping, production and sales of plastic products,” Tian adds.

As Macau grapples with the twin challenges of being densely populated and having a tourism-driven economy, creating a truly sustainable future means the city discovering how to efficiently and effectively cut waste, conserve energy, save water and reduce pollution, says Lam.

“It is a tall order,” he adds, “but highly necessary for Macau to prosper healthily in the long term.”