Gov’t to ban import of non-biodegradable plasticware, environmentalist questions biodegradable standards

Macau will ban the import of single-use non-biodegradable plastic plates, cups, and polystyrene food containers from January 1, 2024, according to an official dispatch from the Chief Executive (CE) published yesterday in the government’s official gazette.

The Environmental Protection Bureau (DSPA) has stated that a follow-up briefing will be held to further explain the measures to the industry.

Earlier this year, the government banned the import of single-use non-biodegradable plastic cutlery from Jan. 1.

The CE has increased the number of prohibited products to include all disposable plastic cutlery except for those made from biodegradable plastics.

However, an environmental organization expressed concerns regarding the move.

Joe Chan, vice president of Green Future Macau, remarked that the group always supports government regulation on the reduction of plastic waste as banning of single use plastic is the start of cutting plastic pollution.

However, he expressed concerns over the fact that the standard of so-called biodegradable material is not standardized yet.

According to Chan, most of those materials are made of polylactide (PLA) selling in China which is only degraded in certain conditions.

“It means the biodegradable material is not really naturally degraded […]. We raise the question here: how to define biodegradable? How could restaurants recognize which is really biodegradable since biodegradable plastic is categorized as number seven which is non-recyclable,” the environmental activist questioned.

“If the so-called biodegradable plastics that come to Macau don’t have the condition to be degraded, then they are also not for recycling. How would government deal with all these types of plastic?” he added.

Last year the government added plastic straws and swizzle sticks to the same list. The import of these products has been banned since January this year.

Among the products already banned from import to Macau are Styrofoam tableware, which includes the boxes used for takeaway food as well as trays used for the packaging of fresh food items such as meat, fish, fruit and vegetables.

Amid the government’s move on the reduction of plastic waste, Chan recommends the government encourage people to use plant-based materials to replace plastic rather than PLA.

“PLA is fine providing that we have the right facility to digest the waste, otherwise the banning of single use plastic next year will raise many problems by increasing the burden of incineration,” he said.