The Lagos State Government has announced that it will begin full enforcement of the ban on Single-Use Plastics (SUPs) across the state starting from 1 July 2025.
Commissioner for the Environment and Water Resources, Tokunbo Wahab, disclosed this during a courtesy visit by the management of Tetra Pak West Africa Limited to the Alausa Secretariat over the weekend.
Wahab stated that the decision to phase out SUPs, including Styrofoam food packs, was a deliberate and strategic move to address Lagos’s unique environmental vulnerabilities.
READ ALSO: ‘Obtain planning permits for building projects’ – LASPPPA to Lagos residents
This, he said, given its coastal location, limited landmass of 3,575 square kilometres, and its dense population accounting for 10% of the nation’s total.
“The decision to ban single-use plastics in Lagos from early 2025 was an existential one, not taken whimsically. We banned Styrofoam food packs in 2024 and clearly stated that all SUPs would be phased out within 12 months.
“Eighteen months later, full enforcement will now begin. By 1 July 2025, enforcement starts—and heavens will not fall,” Wahab declared.
He added that the state had engaged extensively with stakeholders, particularly the Food and Beverages Recyclers Alliance (FBBRA), and had already achieved a compliance rate of approximately 70%.
Wahab urged manufacturers and distributors to take responsibility and adhere to global best practices.
“When producers, with due respect, try to undermine the system and introduce practices unacceptable elsewhere in the world, the government must stand firm,” he said.
“We all have to do the right thing at the right time for the greater good.”
He further noted that while Styrofoam packs were relatively straightforward to eliminate, SUPs presented greater complexities.
However, the state intentionally delayed enforcement beyond the initial 12-month period to allow adequate time for transition and compliance.
Also speaking at the meeting, Haithem Debbiche, Managing Director of Tetra Pak West Africa, expressed full support for the Lagos State Government’s ban.
READ ALSO: Lagos prioritises clean energy, education, jobs in new SDG plan
He described the initiative as a step in the right direction for sustainability and environmental health.
“Tetra Pak has been in Nigeria since 1970 and we are committed to sustainability. We support the ban and recognise that while progress has been made, more work lies ahead,” Debbiche said.
