The Managing Director of the Lagos Waste Management Authority, LAWMA, Mr. Ibrahim Odumboni, says from April, residents who sort their waste will get reduction in waste bills, while those who don’t will be sanctioned.
Mr Odumboni who made this known while interacting with journalists in his office at Ijora-Olopa, explained LAWMA was engaging recycling as a veritable tool, to tackle the challenge of plastic pollution, as the state generates about 13,000 metric tonnes of waste daily, with plastic materials constituting seventeen percent.
According to him, “From April, you will get reduction in your waste bill if you sort your waste at source and vice versa if you don’t. I am appealing to estates, companies and all residents to comply. What we face in Lagos is challenging. In fact, Lagos is 5th largest economy in Africa; and population wise, we have over 25 million people living in the city. Scientifically, we’ve estimated that each individual generates about 0.69 kg daily. That’s what we are dealing with – over 13,000 metric tonnes of wastes daily, seventeen percent of those are plastic related wastes.
Mr.Odumboni stated that recycling initiative for waste management had gained traction, since the inception of Governor Babajide Sanwo-Olu administration, with the number of recycling companies operating in the state growing from only three to 78.
The LAWMA boss who said there are currently over 600 aggregators,while over 6000 jobs had been created in the sector so far, reiterated the massive impact of recycling on the lives of many citizens, particularly in the alleviation of unemployment challenges, and the positive impact on environmental sustainability.
He further announced that the agency, as part of efforts to expand the recycling initiative, would partner a group, on a project to convert waste to chemical, aimed at reducing the environmental impact caused by plastic waste in the state.
He called on corporate organisations, to join forces with the Authority, to create awareness among residents on the need to be actively involved in recycling, with attendant benefits for the people and the environment.
