The Lagos State Government has announced plans to ban the use of single-use plastics and sachet water starting from January 2025.
Confirming the ban during a stakeholders’ workshop on the implementation of the ban on Styrofoam and SUPs for packaging in Lagos, the Commissioner for the Environment and Water Resources, Tokunbo Wahab, explained that the ban, set to begin in January 2025, is part of the government’s efforts to establish policy guidelines for plastic use, ensuring “sustainable management of plastic waste” and promoting a healthy and safe environment.
It was reported that in January 2024, the state government banned the use of Styrofoam in all government establishments and across Lagos due to the increasing levels of plastic waste and its adverse environmental effects.
However, industry stakeholders have urged the government to implement the ban in phases rather than enforcing it outright to ensure effective compliance and consider the current economic challenges.
Speaking on behalf of the industry, the Lagos chairperson of the Association for Table Water Producers of Nigeria (ATWAP), Mosaku Ololade, said, “We have been engaging Lagos State Government on the way forward and we have been sensitising our members on the planned ban.
“We want the government to continue to engage us. We are a responsible association. We are ready to work with the government.
“We have over 2,000 members in Lagos alone with over 10,000 workers. We hereby implore the government to implement the ban in phases to allow our members ample opportunity for compliance.
“There are a lot of things to be put in place before coming up with total enforcement,” Ololade said.
