#Zerowaste: Sort you waste for recycling, LAWMA MD appeals

ORILE, Lagos, Nigeria – The Managing Director of Lagos Waste Management Authority (LAWMA), Dr. Muyiwa Gbadegesin, has again urged residents to imbibe the culture of waste sorting at source by dropping all recyclable items in one bag and other waste items in another.

Speaking at Orile Bus Stop during a roadshow organised by LAWMA to create awareness and distribute waste bags following the recently launched Blue Box Program of the State government, Gbadegesin said the Authority embarked on the massive sensitisation program to draw the attention of residents in the area to the need for proper sanitation and cleaner surroundings. 

“Today we’ve come to sensitise the community on how to maintain a clean environment because a clean environment is the beginning of good health for all Lagosians. If you don’t have a clean environment, you cannot enjoy good health”, he said.

Gbadegesin spoke further saying, “You were keeping one waste bag before, but now you will be keeping two bags; one bag for your recyclable materials like plastic bottles, cans and water sachets while the other bag is for general waste. That is why we are distributing the bags to you, for the “Blue Box” program which the governor launched last week.”

“I also want you to stop the idea of using refuse to reclaim land. This is an unwholesome practice that is harmful to the environment and must be discontinued”, he stressed.

Buttressing the fact that the Governor Babajide Sanwo-Olu’s Executive Order on Sanitation will be enforced, the LAWMA boss disclosed that the agency had commenced massive clean-up exercises along Orile – Lagos Badagry Expressway to ensure that the stretch was rid of black spots and all forms of environmental nuisance.

He urged residents in the area to support government’s efforts by embracing right environmental practices to protect them from the dangers of environmental pollution, adding that the Authority had commenced distribution of trash bags, in line with the Blue Box program, to enable residents sort their wastes properly for recycling.

Mr. Funsho Adeolu, a renowned Nigerian actor and LAWMA ambassador, said he joined the campaign to promote environmental sustainability in the State, urging Lagosians to support LAWMA’s efforts at restoring the environment through proper waste management practices like waste sorting for recycling.

Also at the sensitisation exercise was Tony Ohekwuru, a child environmental advocate with Children for Cleaner Lagos, who educated residents on how to dispose of their wastes properly as well as the importance of waste segregation for recycling.