Zero Waste Ambassadors Sensitize Markets On Waste Segregation, Composting In Epe
.. · Charge Lagos State Government To Promote Initiative
By Edu Abade
An initiative of the Community Development Advocacy Foundation (CODAF), Zero Waste Ambassadors (ZeWA) at the weekend, unveiled community-wide sensitization campaign at Ayetoro Market in Epe Local Government Area, urging traders and market women to adopt proper waste segregation and highlighting the dangers of indiscriminate dumping of organic wastes in the community and the state at large.
The campaign, conducted under the Multi-Solving Action for Methane Reduction Project being implemented by CODAF, reached no fewer than 50 traders, with women constituting approximately 70 percent of participants.
Using an open-air public-address system, the team delivered engaging and accessible messages in both Yoruba and Pidgin English to accommodate the diverse backgrounds of market users.
Speaking during the exercise, Zero Waste Ambassador, Temitope Adeosun stressed the economic and environmental value of separating organic waste from plastics and other materials and further explained that when left mixed, organic waste loses its potential for compost processing and contributes significantly to methane emissions when dumped at landfills.
Another ambassador, Oshineye Johnson, noted that fruits and vegetable wastes that end up at dumpsites generate methane-an extremely potent greenhouse gas responsible for warming the environment and intensifying extreme weather events, flooding and declining agricultural productivity.
The campaign also highlighted the harmful practice of open waste burning at markets and households, just as Adepoju Adebowale, another member of the ZeWA, cautioned that burning wastes, especially plastics, releases toxic chemicals linked to asthma, cancer and respiratory distress.
Traders expressed enthusiasm about learning that properly separated organic waste can be transformed into compost, a valuable input for farms. Some immediately requested practical training on compost-making, recognizing the potential for additional income generation and improved cleanliness within the market environment.
The Zero Waste Ambassadors stated that the high level of interest from traders demonstrates a clear opportunity for Lagos State to lead a transformative shift in waste management, starting from the community level.
Given the high volume of organic waste generated in Epe-estimated at 31.3 percent of municipal solid waste, CODAF and the Zero Waste Ambassadors urged the Lagos State Government to promote waste segregation at source across markets and households by providing colour-coded bins and public education.
“The state should divert organic waste to composting facilities instead of transporting mixed waste to dumpsites where it decomposes and produces methane and strengthen collaboration between LAWMA, market associations, and community-based organizations to ensure dedicated pickup systems for segregated organic waste.
“There is the need to expand and support community-level composting hubs, including CODAF’s Material Recovery Facility (MRF) in Epe to process organic waste into marketable compost and facilitate hands-on capacity-building workshops for traders and local waste handlers on compost production and safe waste handling,” the group said.
CODAF and the ZeWA reaffirmed their commitment to raising awareness and advancing zero-waste solutions that protect health, create opportunities for better livelihood and reduce methane emissions contributing to climate change.
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