Trash piles outside bins draw public’s attention

Communities in the northern, central and southern districts have filed complaints about trash piling up around garbage bins located in their surroundings. According to a report by Macao Daily News, some of the district residents deposit their families’ waste, as well as construction waste, in spaces adjacent to trash-collecting facilities.
In recent years, the local government has established garbage chambers across all districts in the territory. However, the General Union of Neighborhood Association (Kai Fong) said the areas surrounding these facilities are overflowing with refuse. The association stated that residents dump large furniture, electrical devices and other waste outside the chambers on a daily basis. As these areas cannot be cleaned immediately, strong smells spread around the neighborhood, especially in extreme weather.
Kai Fong has urged the government to take immediate action before the situation deteriorates. MSAR policies state that any parties responsible for abandoning certain kinds of waste, such as industrial waste, shall be fined MOP600 – a light punishment, according to the association, compared to the fines applied in neighboring regions. The association has suggested that the government increase the fines and assign those responsible to community service.
Kai Fong also suggested that the authorities establish 24-hour reporting hotlines to help curb unruly behavior. The association said Macau should learn from the Japanese and devise schedules for each household to dispose of their garbage at different times.
Currently, the city relies mainly on garbage chambers for household waste collection. Each chamber has a capacity of 1,100 liters.
Overall, there are 121 garbage chambers across the entire Macau peninsula, according to the Civic and Municipal Affairs Bureau.
Staff reporter