The Lagos State Government has announced that it would commence full enforcement of the ban on the use and distribution of Styrofoam food containers throughout the state on Monday.
The government has stated that any styrofoam found in state shops will be seized and confiscated.
Styrofoam is a basic material used to make throwaway plates used in restaurants.
In January, the state administration announced that Styrofoam and other single-use plastics would no longer be used or distributed throughout the state.
The decision was made in response to the government’s concerns about the environmental impact of single-use plastics, particularly non-biodegradable Styrofoam.
Stryfoam users had a three-week grace period to discontinue their use.
However, several stakeholders have criticized the state government’s decision, claiming that the prohibition will harm their businesses; some even sold the items illegally.
Meanwhile, some food merchants in the state have started using nylon bags to pack meals for their customers.
The merchants claimed they switched to nylon bags because the state government failed to supply them with cheaper and better options following the prohibition.
On Saturday night, the state Ministry of Environment and Water Resources announced this via a series of tweets on its X feed.
According to the tweet, the Commissioner for Environment and Water Resources made this statement on Friday during a meeting with all market leaders in the state at BlueRoof Alausa.
Wahab stated, "The enforcement will begin on Monday in all marketplaces, and officials from LAGESC/KAI, Environmental Health Officials, LAWMA Police, and the Ministry will go after all those who have styrofoam in their shops, stores, or outlets and confiscate them.
“Styrofoam usage has caused enough damage to the health of the residents and the state of the environment for so many years and the government is determined to encourage viable options for Styrofoam containers across the metropolis.”
He added that the recent shutdown of some markets around the state was due to unhygienic conditions in the majority of the markets.
However, the commissioner urged market leaders to remember that cleanliness is second only to Godliness, and that they must constantly prioritize a clean atmosphere.
According to the article, Wahab stated that the government takes no delight in closing people’s companies, but emphasized that some markets were in a bad situation due to the market executives’ casual attitude.
He went on to say that there have recently been allegations of government officials being attacked anytime they visited markets to inspect sanitation and enforce environmental rules.
"I would want to appeal to all of our traders to refrain from selling on the railway lines and roadways. Furthermore, we must stop cluttering our market with waste. We must segregate our waste in our local marketplaces, bag it, and favor PSP companies.
He revealed that the state government would commission the Red Rail line in a few weeks, which is planned to operate from nightfall to dawn, emphasizing that trade on railway lines is extremely dangerous and could result in fatalities.