{"id":62279,"date":"2024-02-01T17:01:52","date_gmt":"2024-02-01T17:01:52","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.africa-press.net\/namibia\/all-news\/lagos-styrofoam-plastics-ban-brings-applause-and-concerns"},"modified":"2024-02-01T18:39:42","modified_gmt":"2024-02-01T18:39:42","slug":"lagos-styrofoam-plastics-ban-brings-applause-and-concerns","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.africa-press.net\/namibia\/all-news\/lagos-styrofoam-plastics-ban-brings-applause-and-concerns","title":{"rendered":"Lagos styrofoam, plastics ban brings applause and concerns"},"content":{"rendered":"

Africa-Press – Namibia. <\/strong><\/span>From trash-strewn pavements to street vendors packing meals in polystyrene containers, plastic waste is a constant menace in the urban landscape of Lagos, Nigeria\u2019s economic capital and the continent\u2019s most populous city.<\/p>\n

That image could soon change if the local Lagos State government manages to implement its recent ambitious ban on the use of polystyrene and single-use plastics.<\/p>\n

Sunday\u2019s announcement of the ban on styrofoam boxes and single-use plastics, \u201cwith immediate effect\u201d, by Tokunbo Wahab, the Commissioner for Environment of Lagos State, took many Lagosians by surprise, especially those living in the informal sector.<\/p>\n

\u201cStyrofoam boxes are cheaper than reusable plastic ones,\u201d Cecilia Mathew (20) who sells dishes of rice, meat, and gari or cassava flour told AFP speaking in the local Yoruba language on the streets of the popular district of Obalende in Lagos.<\/p>\n

Funmilayo Oresanya (43) another food vendor said \u201cIt does not make sense to put food inside poly bag (plastic bag)\u201d.<\/p>\n

For environmentalists, the Lagos State move was a welcome one that could not only cut down on waste but also reduce carbon emissions.<\/p>\n

But other critics questioned the feasibility of an immediate ban on such commonly used products, especially for businesses.<\/p>\n

\u201cIt\u2019s too sudden. There are people that are using it as a means of living so what will they be doing? How about the production people?\u201d Kehinde Bakare (61) a polystyrene box seller, told AFP.<\/p>\n

Nigerian fast-food chain Food Concepts, known for its popular restaurants Chicken Republic, PieXpress, and The Chopbox, \u201capplauded\u201d the measure, saying in a statement on Monday it was the \u201cbeginning of its transition\u201d to end polystyrene boxes and encouraging its customers \u201cto come with their own containers\u201d.<\/p>\n

Folawemi Umunna, co-founder of the NGO Initiative for Climate and Ecological Protection, said the decision to eliminate non-biodegradable materials was positive if Lagos State properly managed its action plan.<\/p>\n

On his X account, Tokunbo Wahab published a video on Tuesday showing health workers carrying out checks in the city.<\/p>\n

In 2019, Nigerian MPs passed a law banning plastic bags, but it hit a dead end because it did not complete its legislative process. Other African countries have also attempted to ban plastic bags with mixed success.<\/p>\n

But in the Lagos megacity of more than 20 million inhabitants, the issue of waste management is key as rubbish regularly blocks sewers and evacuation routes, particularly during the rainy season, causing floods and encouraging the proliferation of mosquitoes, vectors of malaria, in stagnant water.<\/p>\n

Nigeria is \u201cAfrica\u2019s second largest importer of plastics\u201d, according to the German Heinrich-Boell Foundation, representing \u201c17% of the total plastic consumption on the continent\u201d and more than 130 000 tonnes of plastic ends up in Nigerian waters each year.<\/p>\n

If nothing is changed, imports and consumption of plastics will exceed 40 million tonnes by 2030, it warned in a 2020 report.<\/p>\n

Plastic microparticles are ingested by animals and can be found in human beings, Temitope Olawunmi Sogbanmu, eco-toxicologist at the University of Lagos told AFP, pointing to the \u201cnon-degradable\u201d nature of these materials.<\/p>\n

But if the ban on polystyrene and single-use plastic is \u201cgood news\u201d for climate and sustainability, Sogbanmu says she still worries about \u201cthe socio-economic consequences\u201d of this measure on \u201cthose whose livelihood depends on this value chain\u201d.<\/p>\n

Climate benefits may be offset by the social impact on vendors of food and water in plastic bags as well as waste collectors who are part of the informal economy in a country that is already undergoing an economic crisis with a tripling of fuel prices since President Bola Ahmed Tinubu came to power in May.<\/p>\n

The annual inflation rate stood at almost 29% in December.<\/p>\n

\u201cThere will be more people impoverished and it will become even harder for people to get the basic things,\u201d said Sogbanmu, who recommends the implementation of \u2018strategic interventions, especially for the poor.<\/p>\n

Environmental activist Oluwaseyi Moejho said the Lagos government took a bold step but agreed that state officials must ask people what they want and how it can support them.<\/p>\n

\u201cThere was once a Nigeria without plastic, and we survived it. It is very much possible. I understand the convenience of plastics, it is quite blinding, but convenience at the cost of our lives and future is too expensive,\u201d she said.<\/p>\n

For More News And Analysis About Namibia<\/a> Follow Africa-Press<\/a><\/strong><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

Africa-Press – Namibia. From trash-strewn pavements to street vendors packing meals in polystyrene containers, plastic waste is a constant menace in the urban landscape of Lagos, Nigeria\u2019s economic capital and the continent\u2019s most populous city. That image could soon change if the local Lagos State government manages to implement its recent ambitious ban on the […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":84,"featured_media":62278,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[2,3],"tags":[234,236,233],"class_list":["post-62279","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-all-news","category-community","tag-africa-press","tag-africa-press-namibia","tag-namibia"],"yoast_head":"\nLagos styrofoam, plastics ban brings applause and concerns - Namibia<\/title>\n<meta name=\"description\" content=\"From trash-strewn pavements to street vendors packing meals in polystyrene containers, plastic waste is a constant menac ...\" \/>\n<meta name=\"robots\" content=\"index, follow, max-snippet:-1, max-image-preview:large, max-video-preview:-1\" \/>\n<link rel=\"canonical\" href=\"https:\/\/www.africa-press.net\/namibia\/all-news\/lagos-styrofoam-plastics-ban-brings-applause-and-concerns\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:locale\" content=\"en_US\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:type\" content=\"article\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:title\" content=\"Lagos styrofoam, plastics ban brings applause and concerns\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:description\" content=\"From trash-strewn pavements to street vendors packing meals in polystyrene containers, plastic waste is a constant menac ...\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:url\" content=\"https:\/\/www.africa-press.net\/namibia\/all-news\/lagos-styrofoam-plastics-ban-brings-applause-and-concerns\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:site_name\" content=\"Namibia\" \/>\n<meta property=\"article:publisher\" content=\"https:\/\/www.facebook.com\/AfricaPressTunisiaa\" \/>\n<meta property=\"article:published_time\" content=\"2024-02-01T17:01:52+00:00\" \/>\n<meta property=\"article:modified_time\" content=\"2024-02-01T18:39:42+00:00\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:image\" content=\"https:\/\/static.africa-press.net\/nambia\/sites\/29\/2024\/02\/sm_1706799892.279654.jpg\" \/>\n\t<meta property=\"og:image:width\" content=\"720\" \/>\n\t<meta property=\"og:image:height\" content=\"480\" \/>\n\t<meta property=\"og:image:type\" content=\"image\/jpeg\" \/>\n<meta name=\"author\" content=\"cfeditoren\" \/>\n<meta name=\"twitter:card\" content=\"summary_large_image\" \/>\n<meta name=\"twitter:label1\" content=\"Written by\" \/>\n\t<meta name=\"twitter:data1\" content=\"cfeditoren\" \/>\n\t<meta name=\"twitter:label2\" content=\"Est. reading time\" \/>\n\t<meta name=\"twitter:data2\" content=\"4 minutes\" \/>\n<script type=\"application\/ld+json\" class=\"yoast-schema-graph\">{\"@context\":\"https:\/\/schema.org\",\"@graph\":[{\"@type\":\"Article\",\"@id\":\"https:\/\/www.africa-press.net\/namibia\/all-news\/lagos-styrofoam-plastics-ban-brings-applause-and-concerns#article\",\"isPartOf\":{\"@id\":\"https:\/\/www.africa-press.net\/namibia\/all-news\/lagos-styrofoam-plastics-ban-brings-applause-and-concerns\"},\"author\":{\"name\":\"cfeditoren\",\"@id\":\"https:\/\/www.africa-press.net\/namibia\/#\/schema\/person\/068c7ab4e9634ae78ec5d54ec46598bb\"},\"headline\":\"Lagos styrofoam, plastics ban brings applause and concerns\",\"datePublished\":\"2024-02-01T17:01:52+00:00\",\"dateModified\":\"2024-02-01T18:39:42+00:00\",\"mainEntityOfPage\":{\"@id\":\"https:\/\/www.africa-press.net\/namibia\/all-news\/lagos-styrofoam-plastics-ban-brings-applause-and-concerns\"},\"wordCount\":719,\"commentCount\":0,\"image\":{\"@id\":\"https:\/\/www.africa-press.net\/namibia\/all-news\/lagos-styrofoam-plastics-ban-brings-applause-and-concerns#primaryimage\"},\"thumbnailUrl\":\"https:\/\/static.africa-press.net\/nambia\/sites\/29\/2024\/02\/sm_1706799892.279654.jpg\",\"keywords\":[\"africa press\",\"Africa Press-Namibia\",\"namibia\"],\"articleSection\":[\"all news\",\"community\"],\"inLanguage\":\"en-US\",\"potentialAction\":[{\"@type\":\"CommentAction\",\"name\":\"Comment\",\"target\":[\"https:\/\/www.africa-press.net\/namibia\/all-news\/lagos-styrofoam-plastics-ban-brings-applause-and-concerns#respond\"]}]},{\"@type\":\"WebPage\",\"@id\":\"https:\/\/www.africa-press.net\/namibia\/all-news\/lagos-styrofoam-plastics-ban-brings-applause-and-concerns\",\"url\":\"https:\/\/www.africa-press.net\/namibia\/all-news\/lagos-styrofoam-plastics-ban-brings-applause-and-concerns\",\"name\":\"Lagos styrofoam, plastics ban brings applause and concerns - 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