The Lagos State Government has announced it will begin full enforcement of the ban on the use and distribution of single-use plastics and Styrofoam food containers on Monday.
Kunle Adeshina, the spokesperson for the ministry, made this announcement in a statement released on Saturday.
According to the statement, the commissioner emphasized that enforcement teams comprising personnel from LAGESC/KAI, Environmental Health Officials, LAWMA Police, and the Ministry would target individuals possessing Styrofoam containers in their shops, stores, or outlets, confiscating them.
- “I would like to appeal to all our traders to desist from selling on the railway lines and all the roads. Also, we must stop littering our market with waste. We must segregate our waste in our respective markets; bag our waste and ensure we patronize PSP operators.
- “I must note again, that all government’s effort in the area of effective waste management, is to build a people-friendly environment, that guarantees happiness and good health for all residents” he said.
Earlier in his remarks, the Special Adviser on Environment, Mr. Olakunle Rotimi-Akodu charged market leaders with the responsibility of ensuring cleanliness in their respective market places stressing, that selling on the roads should be discouraged by all.
He added that it had been observed that some illegal markets now appoint splinter leaders, one leader for the main market and another for roadside traders saying these illegal acts must be discouraged as it is against the environmental laws of the state.
He called on market leaders to ensure that they have functional public toilets in their markets to curb the menace of open defecation that can pollute the environment as well as desist from indiscriminate dumping of refuse in the markets.
Backstory
- Earlier on January 21, 2024, the Lagos State government announced the banning of the usage and distribution of single-use plastics, especially non-biodegradable Styrofoam across the state.
- The decision to ban these products follows the menace which such plastics are causing on the environment in the densely populated state.
- “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 Lagos State Commissioner for Environment and Water Resources, Tokunbo Wahab, said in an online post.