Lagos to prohibit single-use plastics and sachet water starting January 2025.

The Lagos State Government has announced plans to prohibit the use of single-use plastics, including PET bottles and sachet water, starting in January 2025. This follows a ban on styrofoam in government establishments and throughout the city, implemented in January 2024, in response to the growing issue of plastic waste and its detrimental impact on the environment.

Stakeholders in the sector are advocating for a phased implementation of the ban, rather than an immediate enforcement, to ensure effective compliance and to consider the current economic challenges faced by residents.

The Commissioner for the Environment and Water Resources, Tokunbo Wahab, shared this information during a workshop aimed at raising awareness about the styrofoam and single-use plastics ban. He was represented by the Special Adviser on The Environment, Olakunle Rotimi-Akodu.

Wahab explained that the upcoming ban is part of the state's efforts to establish policy guidelines for plastic usage, aimed at promoting sustainable waste management and ensuring a healthy environment. He noted that this policy would be supported by appropriate legal frameworks through enabling legislation.

Currently, Lagos generates about 13,000 tonnes of waste each month, with plastics accounting for over 60 percent of that total. Wahab pointed out that plastic waste significantly contributes to solid waste in the city, with items like PET bottles, styrofoam, and nylon sachets being particularly prevalent.

He highlighted that this situation poses serious environmental challenges, including ecosystem degradation, drainage blockages, flooding, and marine debris, all of which have considerable socio-economic implications for the state.

Effective plastic waste management is essential for achieving the state government's transformational goals outlined in the Lagos State Development Plan (LSDP) and Governor Babajide Sanwo-Olu's THEMES Plus Agenda. Wahab emphasized that sustainable management of plastic waste could turn waste into a resource, improve livelihoods in the waste-picking sector, and alleviate pressure on landfills.

Mosaku Ololade, chairperson of the Association for Table Water Producers of Nigeria (ATWAP) in Lagos, expressed the association's commitment to collaborating with the government on the planned ban. With over 2,000 members and more than 10,000 workers, they urged the government to implement the ban gradually to give members sufficient time to comply, noting that many preparations are necessary before total enforcement can occur.