LAWMA Intensifies Recycling Drive, Moves To Reduce Dependence On Dumpsites

The Lagos Waste Management Authority (LAWMA) has reaffirmed its commitment to reducing the state’s reliance on dumpsites through expanded recycling, resource recovery, environmental education and investments in modern waste processing infrastructure.

The Managing Director and Chief Executive Officer of LAWMA, Dr. Muyiwa Gbadegesin, stated this during the weekend edition of Traffic Radio’s Talk Time programme, where he outlined the agency’s long-term strategy for building a more sustainable and resilient waste management system in Lagos.

Gbadegesin said LAWMA was deliberately shifting its operational focus from waste disposal to resource management by ensuring that a greater proportion of municipal waste was recovered, recycled or treated before reaching landfill sites.

He explained that every disposal facility had a finite operational lifespan, making it imperative to reduce the volume of waste sent to landfills while developing sustainable alternatives capable of recovering value from waste.

According to him, the authority is expanding investments in Material Recovery Facilities (MRFs), Transfer Loading Stations (TLSs), biodigesters, composting facilities and other waste processing infrastructure to improve resource recovery and significantly reduce the quantity of waste requiring final disposal.

He added that every tonne of waste diverted from dumpsites not only extends the lifespan of existing disposal facilities but also creates opportunities for wealth creation, industrial development and environmental sustainability.

The LAWMA boss noted that the authority was deepening waste sorting and recycling initiatives to ensure recyclable and organic waste were separated and returned to productive use rather than disposed of as mixed waste.

Gbadegesin stressed that sustainable waste management could not be achieved through infrastructure alone, saying public education and behavioural change remained central to LAWMA’s long-term strategy.

Read Also: LAWMA Intensifies Waste Evacuation, Cleans Black Spots Across Lagos

He disclosed that the LAWMA Academy had become the authority’s institutional platform for environmental education and advocacy, equipping residents, schools, markets, estates, institutions and community groups with the knowledge and skills required to embrace responsible waste management practices.

He further said the academy was fostering collaboration with academic institutions, development partners, professional bodies and the private sector to encourage research, innovation and practical solutions capable of advancing the circular economy in Lagos.

“The most sustainable waste is the waste that never reached a dumpsite,” Gbadegesin said, noting that every item recovered through recycling, composting or other resource recovery initiatives reduced pressure on landfill facilities while contributing to a cleaner environment.

He urged residents to embrace waste sorting at source, patronise only assigned Private Sector Participants (PSPs) and actively support recycling initiatives, stressing that public participation was indispensable to achieving a more sustainable waste management system.

Reaffirming the agency’s commitment to its long-term vision, Gbadegesin said, “LAWMA is preparing Lagos for a future in which waste is increasingly recovered, recycled and converted into valuable resources, with dumpsites evolving into facilities of last resort within an integrated, resilient and sustainable waste management system.”