Lagos to ban sachet water, pet bottles, others in Jan 2025
By Jeffrey Agbo
Lagos State Government has said it will ban the circulation of sachet water and pet bottles across the state from January 2025.
Commissioner for the Environment and Water Resources, Tokunbo Wahab, announced this on Thursday, at a stakeholders’ workshop and awareness on the implementation of the ban on usage of styrofoam and SUPs for packaging in Lagos.
The workshop was held at Manufacturer Association of Nigeria (MAN) HOUSE on Awolowo Road, Ikeja.
Wahab, who was represented by the Special Adviser on The Environment, Olakunle Rotimi-Akodu, explained that the ban set to commence from January 2025, is part of measures by the state government to put in place policy guidelines for plastic utility in further ensuring a sustainable management of plastic waste, healthy and safe environment.
Wahab added that the policy guideline will also be backed up with appropriate legal framework to be established by law.
He disclosed that Lagos presently generates about 13,000 tonnes of waste products monthly, with plastics making up over 60 per cent.
According to Wahab, “Plastics waste materials make up a significant proportion of solid wastes and litter the metropolis.
“It has become a highly visible part of the waste stream, PET, Styrofoam and nylon for sachet water, popularly called ‘pure water’ commonly being used for water and beverages, take away plates and cups, carrier bags, among others.
“This development is posing environmental challenges ranging from Ecosystems degradation, Drainage clogging and flooding, Lagoon and Ocean debris with attendant harm to human resulting in high socio-economic impacts on the State.”
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He stressed that effective plastic waste management is fundamental to delivery of the state government’s priority transformational agenda as laid down in Lagos State Development Plan (LSDP) and THEMES’ Plus Agenda of Governor Bababjide Sanwo-Olu, because it is a resource that can be managed to achieve economic, social and environmental benefits.
Wahab added that sustainable plastic waste management will create value from the waste stream and formalise the waste-pickers’ sector to improve livelihoods and reduce the pressure on landfill.
“It will improve the situation of the State’s drainage channels and reduce plastic pollution in the marine environment,” the commissioner stated.
Lagos chairperson, Association for Table Water Producers of Nigeria, Mosaku Ololade, said: “We have been engaging Lagos State Government on the way forward and we have been sensitisng our members on the planned ban.
“We want the government to continue to engage us. We are a responsible association. We are ready to work with the government.
“We have over 2,000 members in Lagos alone with over 10,000 workers. We hereby implore the government to implement the ban in phases to allow our members ample opportunity for compliance.
“There are lot of things to be put in place before coming up with total enforcement.”
In January, the state government banned the use of styrofoam in all government establishments and across the metropolis following increasing prevalence of plastic waste and its negative effect on the environment in recent years.
