By John Baimba Sesay
The Freetown City Council has introduced the Solid and Liquid Waste Collection Byelaws 2024, reinforcing its dedication to establishing a cleaner and safer city. These byelaws aim to modernize waste management citywide through public-private partnerships.
Under the new Waste Byelaw, all Freetown residents and businesses must register and pay for waste collection services through FCC-approved waste management firms under Council oversight. The city has been restructured into 8 waste management blocks to enhance waste service delivery. The byelaws prohibit the dumping of waste on streets, in gutters, waterways, or public spaces, as well as burning waste, due to environmental and health concerns.
Additionally, they ban cooking, selling, or trading in unauthorized public areas; parking or repairing vehicles on streets; using roads as washing areas or garages; and storing building materials or conducting welding activities in public spaces.
Violators may face fines up to NLe 5,000, six months imprisonment, or both for violating the new byelaws.
In her remarks on the new system, Mayor of Freetown, Yvonne Aki-Sawyerr said, “The new byelaws and the start of our operation, coded #DoriMusGo, mark another milestone in our journey to improve waste management in Freetown. We are taking bold, practical steps to tackle our waste challenges head-on, thus creating cleaner communities, protecting our environment, and improving public health.”
To ensure effective enforcement, FCC in the coming weeks is launching a comprehensive city-wide communication activities, incorporating social media and traditional media campaigns, to raise awareness and educate residents about the new byelaws.
