Lagos Set To Ban Single-Use Plastic Bags

In a move to protect the environment and encourage eco-friendly products, the Lagos State Environmental Protection Agency LASEPA, is set to ban all single use plastics within its premises from Monday, 13th January,2020. The Agency is advocating for suitable and multiple use alternatives in other to prevent pollution and avoid disposal problems.


This was made known by the General Manager of the agency, Dr. Dolapo Fasawe at her office IN Alausa, Ikeja. “As the Environmental police of the state, LASEPA should set good record for others to emulate, hence the reason we are using our premises as a pilot scheme to drive home our Zero plastic waste campaign and its attendant effects on human health and the environment. This move would later be extended for wider implementation in all government facilities and the state as a whole,” she stated.
 To achieve the objective of the campaign, all staff and visitors to LASEPA premises are enjoined to support and comply with this holistic directive. According to her ‘To drive home the importance of the campaign, the agency will be providing multiple use cloth bags to all staff within the first week of implementation to substitute old unfriendly materials after which same bags can be purchased at the Agency reception for a nominal fee.
 According to her, single-use plastics represents the epitome of the “throw-away” culture that has filled up in landfills, polluted oceans, waterways and the environment, causing environmental and health hazards. Submitting that replacement such as cloth ( cotton ) or reusable bags, paper bags etc., can be used several times, naturally decomposes in the environment and also prevents flooding, drainage blockade ,soil and water contamination .   
The General Manager thereby called for societal change against the use of single-use products and further charged all to embrace the new, holistic approach of embracing recycling and reusable materials that are cost effective, environmental friendly and also devoid of environmental nuisances and pollution. 
 This pilot scheme according to Fasawe would serve as a blue print and guide towards government policy thrust towards total ban on single-use plastics and its effect on human and the environment at large.
 

Leave a Reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *