Lagos Outlaws the Use of Single-Use Plastics and Styrofoam

The Lagos State Government declared on Sunday that the use and distribution of single-use plastics, such as Styrofoam, will be prohibited in the state going forward.

Tokunbo Wahab, the Commissioner of Environment and Water Resources, made this announcement in a statement that he personally signed.

Wahab claims that the decision was made in response to the environmental threat posed by single-use plastics, particularly non-biodegradable Styrofoam.

Despite the massive volumes of Styrofoam that are routinely cleaned and removed from the drains, he continued, the majority of the state’s drainage channels are constantly clogged by the material due to its careless distribution and consumption.

He restated that styrofoam makes up a greater portion of the garbage that the Lagos Waste Management Authority (LAWMA) deals with on a daily basis on major roads and in marketplaces.

The Commissioner went on to say that, particularly for a coastal city, the State Government cannot stand by and let the ongoing destruction of its ecosystem.

He has since ordered LAWMA and the Kick Against Indiscipline to start enforcing the ban right away.

In order to stop additional Styrofoam distribution, he requested that two agencies crack down on all Styrofoam manufacturing firms and distribution centers in the state.

Wahab clarified that the state’s current course of action was made possible by a number of enabling laws and regulations, including the National Environmental (Sanitation and Waste Control) Regulation 2009, which was created in accordance with the NESREA Act and which forbade the use of single-use plastics nationwide but has not been put into effect.

Wahab lists the 2017 State Environmental Management and Protection legislation as one of the additional laws. Section 56(I)(y) of this legislation mandates that “any activity or omission, which is likely to cause harm or has caused harm to human health or the environment, be prevented, stopped, or discontinued.”

Producers, distributors, and end users of these styrofoam packets were cautioned by the Commissioner to take the ban seriously and find alternatives, or else they risked severe fines and other penalties, such as having their premises sealed.

He forewarned that they might also be forced to pay the tens of millions of naira that are required every day to clean up their products from our roads and drainage channels.

“The economic interests of a few wealthy business owners cannot hold our state hostage, when millions of Lagosians are suffering from the indiscriminate dumping of single-use plastics and other types of waste,” the governor declared.

Wahab claims that the well-known effects include cholera, flooding, and climate change.

He advised locals and consumers to adopt the habit of utilizing reusable water bottles and food containers for their food and beverages, and to shun single-use plastics and styrofoam packaging.

“Single-use plastic is convenient, but it costs society a lot. Wahab said, “We all need to make little sacrifices for the sake of our group’s wellbeing.