By Fawaz Adebisi
Lagos residents will have to find alternatives after the state government banned the use and distribution of styrofoam and other single-use plastics in a move to tackle the environmental impact of the products.
The Lagos Commissioner for Environment and Water Resources, Tokunbo Wahab, confirmed the ban in a statement on Sunday.
“Following the menace which single-use plastics especially non-biodegradable Styrofoam are causing on the environment, the Lagos State government through the Ministry of the Environment and Water Resources is hereby announcing a ban on the usage and distribution of Styrofoam and other single-use plastics in the State with immediate effect,” the statement said.
The ban, which takes immediate effect, will affect all forms of styrofoam and single-use plastics such as cups, plates, cutlery, straws, bags, bottles, wrappers, and containers.
These products are known to have environmental impact particularly clogging of drainage channels and canals. This could pose a serious health threat to residents of Lagos, Nigeria’s populous state which generates over 10,000 metric tons of waste daily.
