The Lagos State Government has banned the usage and distribution of styrofoam and other single-use plastics with immediate effect. The decision was made following the menace that single-use plastics, especially non-biodegradable Styrofoam, were causing to the environment.
The Commissioner for the Environment and Water Resources, Tokunbo Wahab, who announced this in a statement he personally signed, said most drainage channels in the state were daily clogged up by styrofoam through indiscriminate distribution and usage, despite the regular cleaning and evacuation of the drains with humongous amounts.
He reiterated that the larger chunk of littering across major roads and markets that LAWMA contends with daily is made up of styro foam.
The commissioner said the state government could not fold its arms and watch the continued desecration of its environment.
He subsequently directed the State Waste Management Authority, LAWMA, and the Kick Against Indiscipline, KAI, to immediately commence implementation of the ban. He asked the two agencies 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 took the present action, relying on several enabling laws and regulations, such as the National Environmental (Sanitation and Waste Control) Regulation 2009, which was established pursuant to the NESREA Act and prohibited and specifically banned single-use plastic in the country but has not been enforced.
Other laws, according to him, include the 2017 State Environmental Management and Protection Law, which states, under Section 56(I)(y), “prevent, stop, or discontinue any activity or omission, which is likely to cause harm or has caused harm to human health or the environment.
According to the Commissioner, “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 well-known consequences include climate change, flooding, and diseases like cholera.”
Producers, distributors, and end-users of styrofoam packs are advised to take the ban seriously, find alternatives, or risk heavy fines, and other penalties, including sealing their premises.
Consumers and residents are also advised to boycott styrofoam packs and single-use plastics and imbibe the practice of using reusable food containers and water bottles for their food and drinks.
