The Lagos state government has stated that it will ensure that actionable strategies are employed to sustain the ban on the use and sale of styrofoam food containers and single-use plastics (SUPs) in the state.
Addressing participants at a one-day stakeholders workshop on the implementation of the ban on usage of Styrofoam plastics and single-use plastics held at MAN Centre, ikeja, the Commissioner for the Environment and Water Resources, Tokunbo Wahab who was represented by the Special Adviser Environment, Engr Kunle Rotimi-Akodu said the workshop will fashion out necessary strategies to implement and sustain the ban on Styrofoam and other single-use plastics in Lagos state.
Wahab said statistics showed that Lagos generates over 13,000 tonnes of waste daily with a significant percentage being single-use plastics and styrofoam, adding that these plastics have been scientifically proven to take up to a thousand years before degrading.
He added that a recent study also proved that microplastics were found in fetuses and the bloodstream of human beings, saying that the resolution to ban the product would not only be beneficial to the present generation but to generations yet unborn.
He recalled that the State Government in January 2024 pronounced a ban on Styrofoam plastics and single-use plastics to reduce the harmful environmental and health impacts of these materials on human health and the ecosystem.
He added that the government remained determined to encourage viable options for Styrofoam containers across the metropolis.
“While the implementation of the ban on Styrofoam commenced on the 12th of February, 2024 upon the expiration of a three weeks moratorium, the State announced a six-month moratorium period for SUPs which was later magnanimously extended till the end of the year 2024 upon Stakeholders appeal to give room for more consultation while the ban on SUPs is effective by January 2025,” he said.
He maintained that Lagos had seen firsthand the devastating effects of plastic pollution, as it affects air quality, clogs the waterways, and poses long-term health risks to the citizens adding that the resolve to ban is a critical step toward climate action, sustainable waste management, and improve the overall quality of life in the communities.
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