Recently, the Lagos Waste Management Authority, LAWMA, launched the Blue Box programme, aimed at promoting the culture of waste sorting at the point of generation. The launch of the innovative scheme represents a milestone in waste management in Lagos.
It has been discovered that the existing practice of dropping all wastes in a container had become old-fashioned, necessitating the need to replace it with a modern method, which involves keeping two containers at home: one for recyclable waste and the other for general waste.
The old system was expensive and cumbersome and also denied the government a huge chunk of accruable revenue and the youth, a large share of prospect for employment.
Governor Babajide Sanwo-Olu had noted at the launch that the staggering volume of waste generated daily by the huge Lagos population dictated the need to explore a modern and profitable waste management method such as the Lagos Blue Box initiative, observing that the approximate 14,000MT of waste generated daily by more than 20 million Lagosians, needed to be creatively managed to turn it into a money-spinner.
The good news is that 50 per cent of waste generated in the Lagos state contains re-usable resources that could be harnessed and channeled to strengthen the economy of Lagos. LAWMA is, thus, poised to drive the circular economy through active community engagement, to encourage effective use of recyclable materials for creating a viable value chain, and ultimately opening new markets and business opportunities, for government and the people.
Undoubtedly, the constant huge inflow of people from all nooks and crannies of the country had increased the volume of waste generated across the state and compounded the challenge of managing it. The small size of the state also implies insufficient space for landfill sites.
One of the major challenges being faced in Lagos state is no doubt its small land size in relation to its increasing population. This has impacted negatively on the availability of space for more infrastructural activities.
With the advent of the Blue Box, Lagosians are now to keep two waste bags at home, instead of one. Two colour-coded bags would be distributed to households by franchised recyclers and environmental volunteer corps. The blue bag will be for recyclable waste items like plastic, water sachets, cans, etc, while the black bag will be for general non-recyclable waste.
The franchised recyclers would pick up the bags from various homes at designated days of the week; take them to their sorting hub in the area to the Community Recycling Centres (CRCs), for further sorting and sale to off-takers.
The several advantages in the Blue Box initiative include capturing 50 per cent of recyclables upstream by June 2021, with zero tolerance for scavenging. It would also attract major investors to strengthen the state’s economy; create more jobs; reduce carbon footprint and encourage zero waste generation for a healthier, cleaner and sustainable environment.
A waste-to-wealth project such as the Blue Box initiative will, no doubt transform waste management into a wealth creation venture that will help tackle the twain issue of poverty and unemployment. The initiative is being projected to generate over 46,000 direct and indirect jobs for Lagosians.
Folashade Kadiri,
Lagos State