The Unified Polythene and Allied Products Sellers and Manufacturers Association of Nigeria has appealed to the Lagos State Government to reconsider its ban on single-use plastics (SUPs) and nylon bags below 40 microns.
The association made the appeal during a market clean-up exercise organized to support the state’s environmental sanitation campaign and to sensitize traders and shoppers on responsible waste disposal.
Assistant Secretary of the association, Comrade Akin Apata, who led the exercise, urged the government to adopt a partnership model that encourages recycling and green economy initiatives, rather than pursuing an outright ban.
He suggested alternatives such as buy-back schemes for used plastics, which would create a win-win solution for both the government and traders.
Apata also pledged that the association would replicate the clean-up exercise across all 20 local government areas and 37 local council development areas in Lagos.
The Lagos State Government began full enforcement of the SUP ban more than two months ago, following an 18-month moratorium that allowed businesses time to phase out banned items such as disposable cups, straws, and plastic bags.
Writing by Ngozi Okpara