The Lagos State Government has banned the usage and distribution of Styrofoam and other single-use plastics in the state with immediate effect.
The ban follows the menace that single-use plastics, especially the non-biogradeable Styrofoam, were causing to the environment, according to the State Commissioner for the Environment and Water Resources, Tokunbo Wahab.
Announcing the ban on Sunday in a statement he personally signed, Wahab said that the indiscriminate distribution and usage of Styrofoam were leading to the clogging up of most drainage channels in the state despite the huge amounts spent in regular cleaning and evacuation of the drains.
The Commissioner reiterated that the larger chunk of littering across major roads and markets which Lagos Waste Management Authority (LAWMA) contends with daily is made up of Styrofoam.
He said the State Government cannot fold its hands and watch the continued desecration of its environment, especially for a coastal city.
He, therefore, directed LAWMA and the Kick Against Indiscipline (KAI) to immediately commence the implementation of the ban and to clamp down on all the production companies and distribution outlets for Styrofoam in the state to prevent further distribution.
Wahab explained that the state’s present action relied on several enabling laws and regulations, such as the National Environmental (Sanitation and Waste Control) Regulation 2009 which was established pursuant to NESREA Act that prohibited and specifically banned single use plastic in the country but has not been enforced, and the 2017 State Environmental Management and Protection Law which seeks, under section 56(I) (y), to “prevent, stop or discontinue any activity or omission, which is likely to cause harm or has caused harm to human health or the environment”.
He advised producers, distributors, and end-users of these Styrofoam packs to take the ban seriously and find alternatives or risk heavy fines and other penalties, including sealing of their premises.
He warned that they could also be made to bear the costs of the daily cleanup of their products from the roads and drainage channels which run into tens of millions of naira.
“Our state cannot be held hostage to the economic interests of a few wealthy business owners compared to the millions of Lagosians suffering the consequences of indiscriminate dumping of single use plastics and other types of waste,” the Commissioner stated.
These consequences, he said, include climate change, flooding, and diseases like cholera.
He advised consumers and residents to boycott Styrofoam packs and single-use plastics while imbibing the practice of using reusable food containers and water bottles for their food and drinks.
“The convenience of single use plastic comes at a huge cost to the society. We must all make small sacrifices for our collective well-being,” he said.
