Lagos produces a mountain of rubbish every day, and where it goes decides whether your street floods. Household waste is collected by private operators working for the state, and the state has banned the worst of the plastic.
Who collects it
The Lagos Waste Management Authority, LAWMA, is responsible for waste in the state. Household collection is mostly done by PSP operators - private sector participants - licensed by LAWMA, each covering an area with its own trucks and schedule.
- Find out your collection day from your landlord, caretaker or estate, and put the bins out for it.
- You pay for collection. The bill comes to the household or the building; in many rentals it is included in the service charge. Ask when you move in.
- Use bags and a covered bin. Loose rubbish is spread by rain, animals and scavengers.
Never in the drains
Rubbish in the drains and canals is a large part of why Lagos floods. Dumping waste in drains, on the street or on open land is an offence, and the state fines people for it. Do not pay a cart-pusher to “take it away” unless you know where it goes: much of what they collect is dumped in the nearest drain or canal.
The ban on styrofoam and single-use plastics
Lagos State banned styrofoam food packs and single-use plastics in January 2024 and began full enforcement on 1 July 2025. It covers thin plastics - styrofoam takeaway packs, polystyrene cups, plastic straws and flimsy carrier bags. Producers, distributors and sellers face fines and having their premises sealed.
In practice:
- Takeaways come in paper, plastic tubs or foil. Bring your own container to a buka if you want to.
- Carry a reusable shopping bag.
Recycling
There is no doorstep recycling as such, but recyclables have value:
- Collectors and recycling companies buy or collect plastic bottles, cans and cardboard, some by pickup, some at drop-off points, and some in exchange for points or cash.
- Scrap dealers take metal, old appliances and batteries.
- Glass and electronics are harder; ask a recycler.
Separating plastic bottles and cans from the rest costs nothing and keeps them out of the drains.
Things that need care
- Batteries, especially the lead-acid batteries from inverters, should go to a dealer who takes old ones back - many will, and many pay.
- Medicines and sharps should go back to a pharmacy or clinic, not in the bin.
- Generator oil should never go down a drain.