One of the world's most polluted cities has banned single-use plastics. It's not so easy
LAGOS, Nigeria — Nigerian shop manager Olarewanju Ogunbona says he uses Styrofoam and plastic packs at least five times a day — nothing unusual in the megacity of Lagos, one of the world's most plastics-polluted urban areas.
The city's over 20 million people contributed 870,000 tonnes of the world's 57 million tonnes of plastic waste in 2024. Lagos state authorities last month imposed a ban on single-use plastics, but residents say weak enforcement and the absence of alternatives have weakened its effectiveness.
Under the law that kicked off on July 1, the use of single-use plastics such as cutlery, plates and straws is banned and offenders risk their businesses being shut down. However, other forms of plastics, which make up a smaller percentage of the city's waste, are still in use.
The ban is far from being fully implemented, as some shops still display Styrofoam packs on their shelves.
'Sellers are still using it very well,' said Ogunbona, who continues to buy his Styrofoam-packed meals.
A global treaty on plastics
In Geneva this week, countries including Nigeria are negotiating a treaty to end plastic pollution. Such talks broke down last year, with oil-producing countries opposed to any limits on plastic production. In large part, plastics are made from fossil fuels like oil and gas.
Lagos generates at least 13,000 tonnefs of waste daily, almost a fifth of which is plastics, officials have said. In the absence of a proper waste management system, most of it ends up in waterways, clogging canals, polluting beaches and contributing to devastating floods.
Although the state government has promoted the ban on single-use plastics as a major step, watchdogs are skeptical.
'Its effectiveness is limited without strong enforcement, affordable alternatives for low-income vendors and meaningful improvements in the city's overwhelmed waste management systems,' Olumide Idowu, a Lagos-based environmental activist, told The Associated Press.
The Lagos state government did not respond to a request for comment.
Scraping off labels with razor blades
With the quest for a better life driving millions of Nigerians to Lagos, some in the city are finding ways to manage the pollution. Recent years have seen a rise of private waste managers and sustainability groups helping to tackle the crisis.
At a sorting site in Obalende, a bustling commercial suburb adjacent to the upscale Ikoyi neighborhood, two women with razor blades scraped labels from plastic soft drink bottles. They uncapped the bottles and threw them into different nets, ready to be compressed and sold for recycling.
Competition has become tougher as more people join the work, the women said. The informal network of waste collectors sell to, or sort for, private waste management companies. They can make around around 5,000 naira ($3.26) a day.
But far more work is needed.
Manufacturers have a key role to play in tackling the plastic waste problem, according to Omoh Alokwe, co-founder of the Street Waste Company that operates in Obalende.
'They need to ... ensure that the plastics being produced into the environment are collected back and recycled,' Alokwe said.
Experts also call for a behavioral change among residents for the law banning single-use plastics to be effective.
Lagos residents need alternatives to plastics, shop owner Ogunbona said. Otherwise, 'we will keep using them.'
Ope Adetayo, The Associated Press
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CTV News
13-08-2025
- CTV News
One of the world's most polluted cities has banned single-use plastics. It's not so easy
Omoh Alokwe, co-founder of Street Waste Company, says the increasing plastic waste is partly due to population pressure in Lagos, Nigeria on Aug 11, 2025. (Sunday Alamba / AP Photo) LAGOS, Nigeria — Nigerian shop manager Olarewanju Ogunbona says he uses Styrofoam and plastic packs at least five times a day — nothing unusual in the megacity of Lagos, one of the world's most plastics-polluted urban areas. The city's over 20 million people contributed 870,000 tonnes of the world's 57 million tonnes of plastic waste in 2024. Lagos state authorities last month imposed a ban on single-use plastics, but residents say weak enforcement and the absence of alternatives have weakened its effectiveness. Under the law that kicked off on July 1, the use of single-use plastics such as cutlery, plates and straws is banned and offenders risk their businesses being shut down. However, other forms of plastics, which make up a smaller percentage of the city's waste, are still in use. The ban is far from being fully implemented, as some shops still display Styrofoam packs on their shelves. 'Sellers are still using it very well,' said Ogunbona, who continues to buy his Styrofoam-packed meals. A global treaty on plastics In Geneva this week, countries including Nigeria are negotiating a treaty to end plastic pollution. Such talks broke down last year, with oil-producing countries opposed to any limits on plastic production. In large part, plastics are made from fossil fuels like oil and gas. Lagos generates at least 13,000 tonnefs of waste daily, almost a fifth of which is plastics, officials have said. In the absence of a proper waste management system, most of it ends up in waterways, clogging canals, polluting beaches and contributing to devastating floods. Although the state government has promoted the ban on single-use plastics as a major step, watchdogs are skeptical. 'Its effectiveness is limited without strong enforcement, affordable alternatives for low-income vendors and meaningful improvements in the city's overwhelmed waste management systems,' Olumide Idowu, a Lagos-based environmental activist, told The Associated Press. The Lagos state government did not respond to a request for comment. Scraping off labels with razor blades With the quest for a better life driving millions of Nigerians to Lagos, some in the city are finding ways to manage the pollution. Recent years have seen a rise of private waste managers and sustainability groups helping to tackle the crisis. At a sorting site in Obalende, a bustling commercial suburb adjacent to the upscale Ikoyi neighborhood, two women with razor blades scraped labels from plastic soft drink bottles. They uncapped the bottles and threw them into different nets, ready to be compressed and sold for recycling. Competition has become tougher as more people join the work, the women said. The informal network of waste collectors sell to, or sort for, private waste management companies. They can make around around 5,000 naira ($3.26) a day. But far more work is needed. Manufacturers have a key role to play in tackling the plastic waste problem, according to Omoh Alokwe, co-founder of the Street Waste Company that operates in Obalende. 'They need to ... ensure that the plastics being produced into the environment are collected back and recycled,' Alokwe said. Experts also call for a behavioral change among residents for the law banning single-use plastics to be effective. Lagos residents need alternatives to plastics, shop owner Ogunbona said. Otherwise, 'we will keep using them.' Ope Adetayo, The Associated Press
Winnipeg Free Press
13-08-2025
- Winnipeg Free Press
One of the world's most polluted cities has banned single-use plastics. It's not so easy
LAGOS, Nigeria (AP) — Nigerian shop manager Olarewanju Ogunbona says he uses Styrofoam and plastic packs at least five times a day — nothing unusual in the megacity of Lagos, one of the world's most plastics-polluted urban areas. The city's over 20 million people contributed 870,000 tons of the world's 57 million tons of plastic waste in 2024. Lagos state authorities last month imposed a ban on single-use plastics, but residents say weak enforcement and the absence of alternatives have weakened its effectiveness. Under the law that kicked off on July 1, the use of single-use plastics such as cutlery, plates and straws is banned and offenders risk their businesses being shut down. However, other forms of plastics, which make up a smaller percentage of the city's waste, are still in use. The ban is far from being fully implemented, as some shops still display Styrofoam packs on their shelves. 'Sellers are still using it very well,' said Ogunbona, who continues to buy his Styrofoam-packed meals. A global treaty on plastics In Geneva this week, countries including Nigeria are negotiating a treaty to end plastic pollution. Such talks broke down last year, with oil-producing countries opposed to any limits on plastic production. In large part, plastics are made from fossil fuels like oil and gas. Lagos generates at least 13,000 tons of waste daily, almost a fifth of which is plastics, officials have said. In the absence of a proper waste management system, most of it ends up in waterways, clogging canals, polluting beaches and contributing to devastating floods. Although the state government has promoted the ban on single-use plastics as a major step, watchdogs are skeptical. 'Its effectiveness is limited without strong enforcement, affordable alternatives for low-income vendors and meaningful improvements in the city's overwhelmed waste management systems,' Olumide Idowu, a Lagos-based environmental activist, told The Associated Press. The Lagos state government did not respond to a request for comment. Scraping off labels with razor blades With the quest for a better life driving millions of Nigerians to Lagos, some in the city are finding ways to manage the pollution. Recent years have seen a rise of private waste managers and sustainability groups helping to tackle the crisis. At a sorting site in Obalende, a bustling commercial suburb adjacent to the upscale Ikoyi neighborhood, two women with razor blades scraped labels from plastic soft drink bottles. They uncapped the bottles and threw them into different nets, ready to be compressed and sold for recycling. Competition has become tougher as more people join the work, the women said. The informal network of waste collectors sell to, or sort for, private waste management companies. They can make around around 5,000 naira ($3.26) a day. Wednesdays What's next in arts, life and pop culture. But far more work is needed. Manufacturers have a key role to play in tackling the plastic waste problem, according to Omoh Alokwe, co-founder of the Street Waste Company that operates in Obalende. 'They need to … ensure that the plastics being produced into the environment are collected back and recycled,' Alokwe said. Experts also call for a behavioral change among residents for the law banning single-use plastics to be effective. Lagos residents need alternatives to plastics, shop owner Ogunbona said. Otherwise, 'we will keep using them.'
CTV News
12-08-2025
- CTV News
Advocates call for policy change to protect wildlife from litter in St. Albert
Brett Bolkowy, a St. Albert resident, is concerned about the garbage from home building sites blowing into green spaces. (CTV News Edmonton/Nav Sangha) Life-long St. Albert resident, outdoorsman and birder Brett Bolkowy is tired of seeing trash littered along his cycling route in the Riverside community. Bolkowy said he's seen plastic, lumber, styrofoam and other debris in the water, reeds and tall grass that make up a city-owned stormwater management facility. 'I counted over 100 pieces of garbage in the wetland the other day,' Bolkowy told CTV News Edmonton on Tuesday. He said he reached out to the City of St. Albert nearly three months ago about trash littering the area. About two months ago, he also got in touch with UrbanAge Homes, the home builder, and Genstar, the real estate developer. 'Originally, Genstar didn't respond to any of my emails. I know that UrbanAge Homes cleaned up behind their finance, but they didn't clean up the stuff down by the wetland,' said Bolkowy. WETLANDWASTE Some St. Albert residents are concerned about trash blowing into green spaces from new home developments. (CTV News Edmonton/Nav Sangha) Last month, the City of St. Albert sent a crew to clean up the area. Bolkowy said they were there for a few days, but haven't been back since, and there's more garbage every day. 'I've noticed that construction garbage is an issue throughout St. Albert,' said Bolkowy. 'We need to do something when it comes to policy and enforcement so that developers and builders have to keep a handle on their garbage before it ends up in our natural areas.' 'We call ourselves a botanical art city, but this isn't a very good look for people who call themselves that.' An email from the City of St. Albert to CTV News Edmonton said it is aware of the concerns with litter and debris located within city parks and green spaces. 'Municipal Enforcement Services has been onsite to investigate the concerns, and the city is working directly with the developer and builder to address these issues,' said the email. 'The stormwater management facility in Riverside is regularly cleaned by Genstar and has also been visited and cleaned up by the City. Due to weather and wind conditions, debris can blow off construction sites.' St. Albert's engineering department allegedly directed the developer to clean up the rest of the garbage in the wetland. But Bolkowy claims the developer considers the matter closed, even though there's still refuse in the area. The city said it is continuing to work with the developer to ensure the area is clean. 'Obviously, I want to see this cleaned up, but I also want to see better policy and enforcement throughout the city, because this is an issue everywhere,' he said, adding that things like covered dumpsters, clean up bonds and eco plans could be easily implemented. 'There are lots of different policy angles that the city could implement here fairly easily to make sure we keep our city clean.' Dale Gienow, the executive director of WILDNorth, agrees with Bolkowy. 'If we're going to share our environment with these animals, we have to make sure we protect them by protecting their environment,' said Gienow. 'We do need strong legislation when it comes to how we manage our resources, how we manage that trash.' WILDNorth provides care to injured and orphaned wildlife and offers educational resources about humanely coexisting with wildlife. 'We see a disproportionate amount of animals being negatively impacted by refuse or trash, sometimes from these sites that are being developed,' said Gienow, adding that it particularly affects birds. He said he's rescued many ducks that have had trash stuck around their necks, making it difficult for them to swim, fly and eat. Local songbirds will often pick up garbage and use it for building their nests. This can cause young birds to get entangled and potentially compromise their development. 'It's part of our responsibility as citizens – if we see garbage on the ground, and it's safe to do so, we should pick it up and put it in a garbage or recycle bin,' said Gienow. 'Look out for our wild neighbours.' With files from CTV News Edmonton's Nav Sangha
