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Garbage classification remains a problem

Garbage classification has not been very popular despite the fact that the Macao government has been advocating garbage classification since the 1990s. The reason is that it is not mandatory in Macao. Even in 2016, Raimundo Arrais do Rosário, Director General of Transport and Works of Macao, claimed, "The garbage classification in Macao is a failure."

In University of Macau (UM), people's limited knowledge of garbage classification and insufficient allocation of garbage recycling bins are leading to the incomplete garbage classification on campus.

"I don't know the specific categories of rubbish in Macao," said Lydia Li, who has been studying in UM for two years. This is also the case for most students. Residential colleges do not publicize and educate students about garbage classification.

"I think our school should take action to publicize information about garbage classification," Lydia said. She hoped that residential colleges will start classes on garbage classification at the beginning of freshman year so that students can have an understanding of the importance of garbage sorting and know how to properly classify garbage.

Furthermore, the university's facilities of garbage sorting are faulty. The garbage sorting bins are placed at bus stops and in the corners of buildings while unsorted bins are next to elevators, where people can find easily. In residential colleges, where the largest number of students live and produce a large quantity of household waste, only several large unsorted bins are provided on each floor.

Mayuko Sugiyama, an exchange student from Japan, said, "Sometimes when I throw garbage on the campus, I am surprised because there is only one garbage box." Therefore, she didn't know that Macao has a garbage sorting system until she saw the sorting boxes in bus stations. It indicates a problem that there are not enough garbage sorting bins around and they are not put in proper places like in residential colleges.

The problem of garbage classification of UM also reflects the problem of garbage classification and recycling system in Macao. According to the 2018 Environmental Status Report of Macao, Macao's daily municipal solid waste disposal per capita was 2.17 kg, while Hong Kong, Singapore, Beijing, Guangzhou, Shanghai was 1.45 kg, 1.45 kg, 1.17 kg, 0.99 kg and 0.84 kg respectively. Macao far exceeds these metropolitan cities above, even 2.5 times more than Shanghai, which began implementing the strict garbage regulation this year! While this data may be partly contributed by a large number of tourists visiting Macao each year, it also reflects the urgency of sorting out the city's trash.