Nigeria Ditches Single-Use Plastics

Nigeria’s Lagos state will no longer allow the use of single-use plastics or non-biodegradable Styrofoam due to the harsh impact on the environment.

Tokunbo Wahab, Commissioner for the Environment and Water Resources, shared the news via Twitter on Sunday, 21 January, adding that the ban would take place “with immediate effect”.

A 2020 study on pollutive waste, revealed that “over 60 million plastic sachet water bags are consumed and disposed of daily in Nigeria, and single-use plastic shopping bags and takeaway packs are ubiquitous.”

Currently, experts believe the West African country generates 2.5 million tonnes of waste each year. If found guilty of enforced laws, culprits may be subject to jail time or required to pay a fine.

However, despite the positive long-term implications, the ban could put some local businesses in a difficult situation. Many companies may rely on disposable materials to provide reasonably priced packaging solutions for their customers.

“As much as we understand the environmental impact, bans must be phased out. You can give a six-month time frame as it will affect production lines,” a Twitter user named Mosebolatan commented.

“The ministry should also begin to work towards clean up of such non-biodegradable materials and provide proper disposal bins for them,” he added.

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