Lagos State to start full enforcement of single use plastics ban from July 1 

The Lagos State Authorities has introduced that it’s going to start full enforcement of the ban on Single-Use Plastics (SUPs) throughout the state beginning July 1, 2025.

The announcement was made by the Commissioner for the Surroundings and Water Assets, Mr. Tokunbo Wahab, throughout a courtesy go to by the administration of Tetra Pak West Africa Restricted, led by its Managing Director, Mr. Haithem Debbiche, at Alausa, Ikeja.

Mr. Wahab disclosed that the state authorities had been “intentional and strategic” in its plan to ban single-use plastics.

“From July 1, 2025, Lagos state will start full enforcement of the ban on Single Use Plastics (SUPs). We’ve been intentional and strategic with 18 months of dialogue, engagement, and transition. Now, it’s time to behave,” he stated.

He defined that the federal government had spent practically 18 months holding stakeholder engagements with each entrepreneurs and producers of single-use plastics, offering ample alternative for industries to adapt and transition.

Backstory 

The journey to the ban on single-use plastics started in January 2024, when the Lagos State Ministry of the Surroundings and Water Assets introduced a ban on the utilization and distribution of styrofoam and different single-use plastics. This announcement was swiftly adopted by enforcement in February 2024, as state authorities started operations to grab banned supplies and guarantee compliance amongst companies and people.

• Nonetheless, the state’s agency stance confronted pushback from stakeholders throughout the manufacturing and retail sectors. In response, the Lagos State Authorities prolonged a moratorium on the ban till the tip of 2024 to permit for additional consultations and provides companies time to transition to extra sustainable packaging choices.
• Shortly after Lagos initiated its ban, the Federal Authorities additionally moved to limit single-use plastics inside its Ministries, Departments, and Businesses (MDAs). Dr. Iziaq Adekunle Salako, then Minister of State for Surroundings, emphasised that the federal ban was an important a part of a nationwide technique to fight plastic waste.

In October 2024, the State authorities declared that full enforcement of the ban on styrofoam meals containers and SUPs would start in January 2025.

By early 2025, main retailers comparable to ShopRite started aligning with the coverage by eliminating nylon luggage and introducing reusable options. Whereas this marked progress, buyers expressed combined reactions, with some involved concerning the added value of reusable luggage.

On the similar time, not all retailers had been totally compliant.

Assembly international requirements 

The commissioner emphasised that the enforcement aligns with the state’s dedication to international environmental requirements.

“That is about environmental accountability. And we’ve given ample time to align with international greatest practices. What’s unacceptable elsewhere can’t change into normal in Lagos. We should defend our future and do what is correct for the larger good,” he famous.

Wahab reiterated the significance of accountable governance, saying the federal government was centered on making a significant impression reasonably than gaining public approval.

Mr. Wahab famous that the enforcement of the SUPs ban would undertake the same strategy to the sooner styrofoam ban. He emphasised that the state’s focus is on efficient implementation by accountability and accountability, reasonably than looking for accolades.