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By Lukman Olabiyi
As part of it effort on effective waste management, Lagos State Government has rolled out 40,000 smart waste bins under it’s ‘Adopt a Bin’ initiative.
The initiative is to promote recycling, clean and healthy environment in the state.
Governor Babajide Sanwo-Olu, who was represented by Commissioner for the Environment and Water Resources, Tunji Bello, urged residents, markets, schools, hospitals, among others, to play their part towards achieving a constantly clean city scape and sustainable environment.
“Your individual roles primarily include prompt payment of waste bills to the PSP operators, for them to stay in business,” he said.
The governor also appealed to corporate bodies to adopt low-income communities so the initiative can spread across the metropolis. You have made similar purposeful engagements in the past, and we trust that you can replicate it again in this instance,” he noted.
“These are not ordinary bin, but smart ones built to last and in accordance with internationally recognised quality standards. 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 added.
General Manager of the Lagos Waste Management Authority (LAWMA) Ibrahim Odumboni said the initiative is designed to promote effective waste management in Lagos, with emphasis on sorting from source.
According to him, Lagos can no longer afford to manage land fills so it was expedient to adopt cost effective and environmentally-resilient methods of waste management.
He added: “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, blue, brown, orange and yellow colours, would be used for general waste, recyclable items, medical waste, garden waste, among others. 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 volume of waste generated daily.
“Today’s event is significant in the history of waste management in Lagos State because it strategically falls in line with the promise made by Governor Babajide Sanwo-Olu, when he assumed office, to restore the beauty and aesthetics of the environment.”
