Lagos unveils adopt-a-bin programme with 40,000 bins

Lagos State Governor, Babajide Sanwo-Olu, yesterday, unveiled the Adopt-A-Bin programme with an initial 40,000 standard bins deployed to households and commercial entities.

The programme is carefully designed to promote effective waste management in the state, with emphasis on waste sorting right at the point of generation.

Speaking at the launch at Simpson Transfer Loading Station on Lagos Island, Sanwo-Olu said the gospel of waste sorting at source, is now gaining ground as individual pickers of recyclable items were increasing by the day and recycling firms springing up.

According to the governor, who was represented by the Commissioner of the Environment and Water Resources, Tunji Bello, “Today, we are at the threshold of another phase, in our Lagos Recycle Initiative, as we launch standard waste bins, for the “Adopt -a- Bin” project, which is Lagos Waste Management Authority (LAWMA)’s latest baby.

The bins, which come in two colours; the green for general waste and the blue for recyclable items, are for containerising waste.

The governor stressed that the bins are not ordinary bins; but smart ones, built to last, and in accordance with internationally recognized quality standards.

He said” “They are fitted with intelligent devices that enable tracking and identification. These unique devices also make it possible to register every single bin to individual addresses, for easy communication on issues relating to them,” he noted.

He said at the inception of his administration, they had a clear road-map of the journey to a cleaner Lagos city with sustainable environment, adding that in accordance with that road map, government had systematically unfolded its plans and strategies, one initiative after another, like the procurement of the 102 trucks and double dino bins; launch of Lagos Recycle Initiative, and now formally bringing “Adopt-a-Bin” project to life for homes, offices, churches, mosques, among others.”

LAWMA’s Managing Director and Chief Executive Officer, Ibrahim Odumboni, stated that without any doubt, the launch of the Adopt-a-Bin Programme, would move the government closer to its vision of establishing an environment-friendly state, through best waste management practices.

“To effectively execute the project, we will be putting an initial 40,000 standard bins to households and commercial entities. The 240-litre bins, in green and blue colours, would be used for general waste and for recyclable items. They are smart and equipped with intelligent devices that enable tracking and identification.

“Among the several benefits of the standard bins are: safe containerisation of waste; easy evacuation; reduction in the harmful activities of pests; as well as reduced city flooding among others. Waste management has gone beyond just picking up refuse and dumping them in the landfills, which are currently overstretched, going by the huge volumes of wastes being generated around the city on a daily basis,” he stated,

Odumboni appealed to corporate bodies for their CSR to adopt whole communities, especially low-income ones, for mass provision of the standard bins, as he had no doubt that this initiative would help the government achieve the environment of its dreams, which is a cleaner, healthier and livable Lagos.