Why the Lagos State Government’s Ban on Styrofoam Is Both a Win and A Disaster
The devil is in the detail
In 2022, it was reported that Lagos state contributes over 870,000 of the 2.5 million tonnes of plastic waste generated in Nigeria annually. That is about 5,511,556,554.6 pounds of plastic waste which mostly ends up in landfills and water bodies. With over 20 million residents, plastic usage is ingrained into our everyday lives.
The average Lagosian does not live in a home with running tap water and uses a plastic cup to scoop water with which to brush their teeth. We use plastic buckets to fetch bathing water, plastic bowls, and basins for laundry, plastic plates are the most common types of plates we use.
Our roadside food sellers used plastic bags to serve customers until it became a nationwide rumor that eating hot food from plastic bags could cause cancer. 10 packs of black plastic bags which sold for N2300 contained as much as 800 bags which could potentially be used to feed the same number of food buyers, saving the vendors good money. The infamous rumor which has been ruled as false by 211 Check made most vendors upgrade to styrofoam plates which are twice as expensive but still saved the vendors’ money as against if they switched to using reusable plastic plates.
