DSPA to study implementation of household waste tax

The Environmental Protection Bureau (DSPA) will study the possibility of the implementation of a tax over household waste, the bureau informed in a statement.
The study, commissioned to an “experienced entity” in the region is expected to start in the fourth quarter of this year and will last for about one year. It will have the aim of delivering solutions to the bureau, taking into account current waste collection methods and the applicability of alternative options considering their merit and Macau’s current situation.
DSPA says that the idea complements the government’s policy regarding the management of urban solid waste, namely the measure that proposes “reduction at the source, separation and recycling,” as outlined in “Macau’s Environmental Protection Plan (2010-2020).”
In this way the DSPA proposes a phased introduction of different policies and economic instruments, underlined by the “polluter-pays” principle, in order to improve on the methods of waste collection and subsequent classification.
In addition to this study, the DSPA has conducted a public consultation on construction waste and another on reducing the use of plastic bags. They are also considering the application of other measures in the future to promote waste awareness and reduction behavior. RM