One of worlds most polluted cities banned single-use plastics; its not so easy

News18

a day ago

Lagos (Nigeria), Aug 13 (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 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 tonnes of waste daily, almost a fifth of which is plastic, 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 sceptical.
'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 in 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 neighbourhood, 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 workforce, the women said. The informal network of waste collectors sells to, or sorts for, private waste management companies. They can make around 5,000 naira (USD 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 behavioural 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." (AP) SKS GRS GRS
(This story has not been edited by News18 staff and is published from a syndicated news agency feed - PTI) view comments
First Published:
August 13, 2025, 12:30 IST
News agency-feeds One of worlds most polluted cities banned single-use plastics; its not so easy
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