The Lagos State Ministry of Environment and Water Resources is starting an environmental purge of single-use plastics (SUPs).

After an 18-month engagement with the Food and Beverages Recyclers Alliance (FBBRA), the commission said that the ban and actions will commence July 1, 2025.

The ban, originally announced in January 2024, aims to combat environmental pollution. A discussion to ban the use and distribution of Styrofoam and other SUPs began at the time.

According to Tokunbo Wahab, Lagos commissioner for environment and water resources, the commission has been strategic with the implementation of the SUP ban. More so, the Styrofoam ban had been successful, hence the need to begin the same with SUPs.

With both bans 12 months apart and about 70% compliance rate from the FBBRA, Wahab said, “We believe that we have given everyone the opportunity to transition.”

Some producers and other affected individuals seem to think otherwise.

In an official statement released by the commission, Wahab voided the claims that the commission had not given the masses an early warning. He said, “We did not just wake up whimsically and choose to ban Styrofoam food packs in 2024.”

Lagos is a coastal state and one of the many at risk of rising sea levels, so, this is considered a step in the right direction. Wahab justified the decision with a quote saying, “We are all birds of passage, tomorrow we will not be here. Let them say of us that we did the right thing at the right time for the greater good of our people.”

Wahab accused producers of being irresponsible, knowing that globally, producers are accountable for their products by tracking them. He concluded that 18 months is enough to transition and that any objection shows unseriousness on the part of producers.