OGWAMA Cautions Industries On Waste Materials
By ABIODUN JIMOH, ABEOKUTA
It will no longer be business as usual in Ogun State as government has made it an offence for industries or producers to trade in discarded materials for health and safety reasons.
This is coming based on the newly passed Ogun State Waste Management Law 2020 which empowered it to monitor the discard of wastes by various industries or producers operating across the state.
Special Adviser to the Governor on Environment-Waste Management, Mr Ola Oresanya disclosed during virtual general meeting of the Manufacturers Association of Nigeria (MAN), Ogun State chapter.
Oresanya stated that only waste collection companies accredited by the newly established Ogun State Waste Management Authority (OGWAMA) would now be saddled with that responsibility.
He said the new law has now put an end to poor handling of industrial wastes which have been identified as a major source of hazardous waste contamination in the state as well as unregulated waste trading among industries.
The special adviser also posited that industries and producers must now provide information on characteristic of industrial waste, ensure proper storage of wastes within their premises, comply with the principle of duty of care on the environment prior collection of discarded materials by designated collectors and maintain regular interaction with OGWAMA client service managers on a first responder transaction level.
Furthermore, Oresanya added that the state government through the waste management authority would provide indemnity clause for protection of discarded materials for industries or producers.
This according to him would prevent flight-tripping and scrapping to protect the brand names and labels, issue regular environmental reports periodically as required and develop reasonable tariff in response to prevailing market prices.
He therefore called on the industries or producers through their apex body, MAN to cooperate with the state government as the newly passed Ogun State Waste Management Law 2020 is centred on principle of circular economy.
“Which will encourage responsible industrial production by reducing, reusing and recycling of materials generated during production life cycle as well as promoting best practice in industrial waste management,” he said.
