The Lagos refuse Management Authority (LAWMA) has designated 1 June, 2023 for the enforcement of refuse bins use by landowners throughout the state in an effort to ensure appropriate waste management and environmental hygiene in Lagos State.
Ibrahim Odumboni, managing director and chief executive officer of LAWMA, commented on the development and emphasised the value of waste bins in homes for fostering a clean and healthy environment. He also added that bins provide a designated area for disposing of domestic waste, assisting in the prevention of littering and the indiscriminate dumping of trash on streets.
He said “Proper waste management is a key component of maintaining a clean and healthy environment. Waste bins provide a designated location for waste disposal, and this helps to prevent the spread of diseases and maintain a hygienic environment”.
Meanwhile, the agency had already commenced placement of abatement notices on homes without waste bins across the state as at 1 April 2023.
“We have set up a task force that will be responsible for enforcing the use of waste bins across the state. The task force will be working closely with community leaders, stakeholders and other relevant agencies to ensure compliance with the policy”, he emphasised.
Odumboni, during an orientation programme organised by the agency, called on landowners and property owners to provide waste containers for their properties and make sure they are routinely cleared and kept. He also encouraged residents to accept the use of waste bins and make it a practice to dispose of their refuse in a responsible way.
In a related development, LAWMA has organised an instruction programme for its enforcement and abatement notice teams on standard rules and appropriate behavior while interacting with tenants on the issue of purchasing smart trash receptacles for their residences.
In order to stop waste migration, indiscriminate dumping, and improve waste recycling while assisting in reducing the amount of waste going to landfills, the authority's Adopt-a-Bin project is crucial, according to Kunle Adebiyi, executive director of finance.
On his own part, LAWMA’s Chief Technical Officer, Dr Olorunwa Tijani, who spoke on the topic, “Bin Placement and Evacuation”, advised residents to place their waste bins at strategic places to make them accessible for seamless evacuation by assigned PSP operators.
Dr Essien Nsuabia, assistant general manager, sustainability and partnership, who moderated the training, spoke on “Overview and Policies on Adopt-a-Bin”, emphasised that the initiative was aimed at ensuring effective waste containerisation in homes, offices and other facilities.
The smart receptacles could be ordered online through the website www.buylawmabin.com, according to Akin Alabi of WasteCare Solutions, who also added that dispatches would take three working days once the payment was verified.
Uthman Rilwan, the head of legal services, Elizabeth Ademola, the head of LAWMA Academy, Jirinsola Okunbanjo, and Olaniyan Aramide, the head of corporate affairs, were among the other facilitators at the orientation event, which also had senior LAWMA officials in attendance.
