The Ogun State Government has mandated all residential buildings to containerise their waste by providing covered waste bins in front of their premises for effective waste management.
The Special Adviser to the Governor on Environment and Managing Director of the Ogun State Waste Management Authority, Abayomi Semako Hunye, announced this directive in a statement on Sunday.
Hunye explained that the measure aims to enhance waste collection at the domestic level, integrate more households into the waste management system, and curb the indiscriminate disposal or burning of waste in unauthorised locations, which negatively impacts the environment.
“This directive will not only bring more households into the waste management system but also discourage dumping waste in uncovered plastics, nylons, cans, and sacks that can be easily scattered by wind, making the environment untidy, unsafe, and unhealthy,” Hunye said.
He said residents were free to purchase waste containers from open markets or make special arrangements with the Waste Private Sector Participants assigned to their communities.
To sustain the initiative, Hunye stated that residents would be required to pay a subsidised waste bill to the PSP operators servicing their areas, while the state government would augment the cost.
“The subsidised residential waste bill serves as proof of subscription to the waste management service and is now being recognised as a valid document for local, national, international, and financial transactions,” he added.
For premises inaccessible to waste collection trucks, Hunye assured residents that waste tricycles would be deployed to service such areas.
He called on residents and community development associations to cooperate to ensure the success of the initiative for the overall well-being of the state.
