LAWMA GOES TOUGH,ENFORCES WASTE BIN USAGE.

The Lagos Waste Management Authority will soon commence the enforcement of the use of appropriate waste storage bins by operators of petrol stations, garages and other business outfits situated along the major  highways in the state.

LAWMA said in a statement made available on Thursday that the enforcement was to ensure total compliance with the state government’s directive that all tenements should have covered bins for the storage and evacuation of wastes, and adhere strictly to the provisions of the state Environmental Sanitation Law, especially Section (12)  that states: “Every owner or occupier of a tenement shall provide a covered dustbin as may be specified by the authority outside the tenement for the disposal of waste.”

Accordingly, the LAWMA frowned on the indiscriminate dumping of wastes by petrol stations and garages situated along major highways, thereby disrupting the free flow of traffic.

The agency had embarked on advocacy and sensitisation  programmes on different occasions to educate owners and managers of such business premises in the state on the need to effectively manage their waste, especially through proper containerisation with the 240-litre bins, as specified by LAWMA.

According to the agency, the standard bin can be purchased from Private Sector Participants in waste management, major markets or LAWMA offices across the state; while the least size being the 200-litre storage bin with lid.

Explaining the importance of containing wastes in the storage bins, LAWMA emphasised that this helped to contain the spread of epidemics, keep the drains and canals from getting blocked and beautify the environment.

The statement further emphasized the need for residents of the state to complement the efforts of government in making sure that all forms of environmental hazards were averted, adding that managing waste from the point of generation paved way for easier and faster evacuation, and also improved the turnaround time.

The agency restated its commitment to taking waste management in the metropolis to the next level, even as it warned that appropriate sanctions would be meted out to those who might wish to flout the order, noting that enforcement officers would visit the garages and petrol stations to ensure full compliance.