LAWMA boss tasks residents on sorting of waste, urges cooperation

The Managing Director and Chief Executive Officer of Lagos Waste Management Authority (LAWMA), Mr. Ibrahim Odumboni, has stressed the need for waste sorting for residents, hinting that come April, residents who comply would get reduction in waste bills and increase for those who don’t.

Odumboni, who disclosed this while interacting with newsmen in his office, said 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 17 per cent.

He said, “From April, you will get a 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 the 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.”

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.

He observed that since the launch of the recycling initiative by the governor, the agency has grown from three to 78 recycling companies and still counting.

The LAWMA boss reiterated the impact of recycling on the lives of citizens, with the creation of jobs to alleviate unemployment challenges, and the positive impact on environmental sustainability, adding that more opportunities would still be created.

He further announced that the agency, as part of efforts to expand the recycling initiative, would partner with the BASF Group on a project to convert waste to chemical, aimed at reducing the environmental impact caused by plastic waste in the state.

Odumboni called on corporate organisations to join forces with the agency , to create awareness among residents on the need to be actively involved in recycling, with attendant benefits for the people and the environment.

“We currently have more than 600 aggregators, and over 6000 jobs created in the sector so far. So, you can see that we’ve started a movement and a growth. It’s over two years now and the progress that is being made is enormous,” he added.