IAM reinforces environmental hygiene efforts around Chinese New Year

MACAU, January 30 - With Chinese New Year approaching, the Municipal Affairs Bureau (IAM) will reinforce various environmental hygiene efforts which include organising the “Clean-up Campaign for Chinese New Year” series of activities in schools and communities, setting up collection points for large unwanted furniture items and collection points for festive flowers and tangerines across all districts, increasing the frequency of public street cleaning and garbage removal, and setting up additional garbage collection facilities in high-traffic areas. These multi-pronged measures aim to maintain the city’s cleanliness and hygiene. Simultaneously, IAM will reinforce inspections, and it urges residents, tourists and businesses to maintain environmental hygiene by properly disposing of garbage.

“Clean-up Campaign for Chinese New Year” series of activities

To enhance public awareness of hygiene in homes, schools and communities, IAM is carrying out the “Clean-up Campaign for Chinese New Year” series of activities in collaboration with the Health Bureau and various associations from January to March, which include organising school teachers, students and volunteer groups to conduct clean-up activities in campuses, communities and residential buildings, as well as holding multiple thematic seminars and photo exhibitions to enhance public awareness of environmental hygiene. To encourage active participation from all sectors, the campaign features a lucky draw. Participants in various activities will receive raffle tickets for a chance to win supermarket coupons.

Setting up collection points for large unwanted furniture items

As many people are accustomed to conducting thorough cleaning and replacing large furniture items before the Chinese New Year, it is anticipated that there will be a corresponding increase in garbage volume. To address this, IAM will set up 136 collection points for large unwanted furniture items across all districts of Macao from 3 to 16 February (the 16th to 29th day of the twelfth lunar month). Among them, 109 points will be located on the Macao Peninsula, 16 in Taipa and 11 in Coloane. The public may properly place unwanted furniture items at the designated collection points for large unwanted furniture items between 8:00 p.m. and 11:00 p.m. during the mentioned period.

Setting up collection points for festive flowers and tangerines

To make better use of green resources, IAM will convert collection points for large unwanted furniture items into collection points for festive flower and tangerines from 17 February to 6 March (Chinese New Year’s Day to the 18th day of the first lunar month). Members of the public may place their discarded festive plants at the points between 8:00 p.m. and 11:00 p.m. during the mentioned period. IAM will shred the collected festive flowers and tangerines for composting purposes.

Signs will be installed at the points for the public to identify them. Detailed locations can be found by scanning the QR code on the poster or visiting the Environmental Information Webpage. IAM urges the public to cooperate with the arrangements and properly dispose of unwanted furniture items, festive flowers and tangerines to avoid affecting environmental hygiene and obstructing pedestrian traffic. Offenders may be subject to fines.

Strengthening community environmental hygiene efforts

Around the Chinese New Year, IAM will intensify environmental hygiene efforts across all districts, particularly in high-traffic areas, which include installing additional garbage collection facilities, deploying extra workers for garbage removal, increasing the frequency of public street cleaning, strengthening public toilet cleaning and inspections so as to maintain urban cleanliness. Simultaneously, ongoing patrols of public streets across all districts will be conducted. Residents, tourists and businesses are urged to pay attention to environmental hygiene, properly dispose of garbage, and collectively maintain the city’s cleanliness.