Environment | Gov’t launches ‘polluter-pays’ principle on construction landfill fees

A new proposal by the Environmental Bureau suggests the introduction of a multi-
level fee system for discarding construction waste. According to the bureau, this could reduce construction residue by up to 25 percent, and produce an additional MOP300 million in tax revenues.
The proposal is the result of a landfill crisis in Macau – specifically the construction material landfill, which reached full capacity in 2013. In an effort to reform the construction waste handling system, the bureau has suggested adopting a “polluter-pays” principle, whereby the costs of discarding construction materials are paid by the discarder.
The bureau has suggested introducing different levels of fees for dumping inert and non-
inert construction materials. Under the new proposal, a ton of inert residue would cost a discarder MOP30, whereas a ton of non-inert waste would cost MOP130.
Inert residues, including debris, rubble, earth and concrete, are suitable for land reclamation use and site formation. Some of these materials will be used in the land reclamation projects in Macau, helping to alleviate the shortage of materials that has, according to developers, caused delays.
Non-inert residues, such as bamboo, timber, vegetation, packaging waste and other organic materials, are unsuitable for land reclamation work. As such, the Environmental Bureau has announced that it will encourage developers to sort the residues into the two categories, and to pay two tiers of fees for the discarding of materials.
“Some of them [players in the construction industry] said that they couldn’t do the sorting. We must understand that the mechanism doesn’t mean we won’t receive these residues. However, I don’t believe all construction sites are so small that they can’t do the sorting,” said Vai Hoi Ieong, director of the Environmental Protection Bureau.
Vai says the law will be reviewed one year after it is implemented, and suggests an interim period of six months. The consultation period will last until December 23 and will consist of three public seminars to garner opinions.