The Association of Scraps and Waste Pickers of Lagos has urged the Lagos State Government to undertake a phased ban of Single Use Plastics (SUPs) instead of an outright ban, ahead of the July 1 enforcement deadline.
The President of ASWOL, Friday Oku, disclosed this in an interview with the News Agency of Nigeria on Sunday.
Oku said there should be at least three years’ notice to dealers and producers of SUPs to transit to other businesses in order not to create unnecessary unemployment.
He noted that the ban if implemented would impact the economy of the dealers and producers.
Oku said the government did not embark on adequate campaign and awareness before going ahead with the proposal to ban SUPs.
Also, some dealers and producers of SUPs described the proposed ban of SUPs by July 1 as insensitive at a time of economic challenge, adding that enough time should be given to them to seek alternative means of livelihood.
Bunmi Ayeni, a dealer at the Ikotun Market in Lagos, said she had been selling nylon materials for about seven years and relied on it to support her family.
Ayeni said the timing for the ban was too short for her to begin to think of any other business to do.
Anthony Ugbe, a producer of nylon materials in Ayobo, said he had invested so much in the business and feared the ban could end it.
“If the government goes on with the ban, that will mean the end of my business.
“There should be a lot of time and awareness to get us in the sector prepared,” Ugbe said.
Another seller of nylon materials and styrofoam at Iyana Ipaja market, Precious Ibeh, said the economy had been very challenging, wondering what she would fall back on when the ban is enforced.
Ibeh said she suffered huge losses during the initial ban on styrofoam in 2024, adding that she had to take them to a neighbouring state to sell.
However, Gbenga Komolafe, the General Secretary, Federation of Informal Workers of Nigeria, said the action of the government to ban SUPs is a well-reasoned action that should go with a lot of sensitisation.
Komolafe decried the use styrofoam for food packaging, adding that it pollutes the food and makes it unfit for consumption.
“It constitutes a lot of environmental hazards while disposing it and has capacity to clog the drains.
“It is a well reasoned action but needs a lot of sensitisation and engagement of the people who have the need to use it.
“The ban has implications for their little businesses,” Komolafe said.
He said the government should engage and sensitise the people using the social media and regular media to the dangers of SUPs.
“Quite frankly, there is an abuse of nylon in this country. In some other parts of the world, people have adopted paper for packaging.
“They are even using nylon to pack moi moi, hot eba and akara, etc. This is poisonous,” Komolafe said.
According to him, nylon poses a serious environmental problem because it clogs the drain and is not easily biodegradable.
“Our people need to be sensistised and a reasonable timeline should be given and messages in different languages should be used.
“The approach needs to be looked into. There is the need to adopt a more humane approach to it,” Komolafe said.
NAN reports that the Lagos State Government on May 20, clarified that its statewide ban on SUPs did not include PET bottles and sachet water.
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The Commissioner For Environment and Water Resources, Tokunbo Wahab, made this known in a statement.
The statement was issued by the Director, Public Affairs, Kunle Adeshina.
Wahab added that part of those exempted from the ban were nylon carrier bags of more than 40 micron thickness.
“The latest clarification was made while reacting to deliberate viral misrepresentations by some people that the ban involves all categories of Single Use Plastics.
“The position of the state government has not changed that only single use plastics consisting of styrofoam food packs and all forms of polystyrene cups (disposal cups) are banned.
“Other items banned in the single use plastics category are plastic straws, plastic cutlery and all single use carrier bags and nylons that have less than 40 micron thickness,” he said.
Wahab reiterated the determination of the state government to go ahead with the enforcement of the ban on July 1.
This is after the expiration of a moratorium of 18 months which it had been given since the announcement of the intention to effect the ban in January 2024.
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