Lagos confiscates N2.5m worth of ‘takeaway’, single-use plastic

The Lagos Environmental Sanitation Corps (LAGESC) has reported the seizure of styrofoam food packs, also known as takeaway containers, and single-use plastics valued at N2.5 million during enforcement operations conducted in various markets and shopping malls across Lagos over the past week.

This information was shared in a statement from Corps Marshal Major Olaniyi Olatunbosun on Tuesday.

According to Olatunbosun, while the ban on styrofoam is already in effect, it has now been extended to include single-use plastics.

The agency learned through intelligence reports that some traders in shopping malls and markets have been repeatedly ignoring the state government’s orders.

As a result, enforcement operations were carried out in the Agege, Oshodi, Idunmota, Mushin, Victoria Island, and Lekki market areas, leading to the confiscation of banned products worth N2.5 million.

Olatunbosun emphasized the detrimental effects of single-use plastics on the environment and reaffirmed that the Ministry of Environment’s decision to implement the ban on July 1 was necessary for the sake of environmental protection.

He noted that plastic waste poses significant threats to the coastal environment and public health in Lagos.

The retired major pointed out that other items banned in the single-use category include plastic straws, plastic cutlery, and all single-use carrier bags—specifically those made of nylon with a thickness of less than 40 microns. This clarification seeks to dispel any misconceptions being spread by individuals misinterpreting the ban.

In reiterating the total ban on styrofoam, the Corps Marshal stressed the importance of compliance to eliminate styrofoam food containers and all types of polystyrene cups. He noted that these disposable containers have no recycling value due to their non-biodegradable nature, which harms the environment.

In his final comments, Cole read the riot act to traders to desist from trading in styrofoam, SUPs, displaying wares for sale on road setbacks, lay-bys, medians, verges, gutter slabs, as these activities remain banned by the state’s environmental laws.

Stressing the need for pedestrians’ safety while crossing highways, the KAI top man advocated for the appropriate use of pedestrian bridges, just as he warned Lagosians to refrain from engaging in open urination, defecation and indiscriminate dumping of refuse which blocks the drains and prevents the flow of storm water into the canals.

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