Nigeria is Set to Ban Single-use Plastic in January

Picture courtesy: (Bizcommunity) Nigeria to Introduce a Ban on Single-Use Plastics in Over-Polluted Areas.

(The Post News)- In a revolutionary move aimed at fighting environmental degradation, Nigeria is confident of introducing a nationwide ban on single-use plastic in January 2025.

This proposal underlines the country’s commitment to environmental maintenance amidst growing concerns over intense plastic pollution.

Nigeria is one of the world’s top plastic polluters, with over 2.5 million metric tonnes of plastic waste per year.

The country’s need for a more complete waste collection system and limited recycling facilities means that over 70% of the pollution ends up in the sea or landfills, which raised concerns for the Nigerian government regarding environmental sustainability.

The ban that was announced by the government aims at a wide range of single-use plastic items, including shopping bags, water sachets, cutlery, straws, and beverage bottles that are under a certain size.

Nigeria has become the latest African country to join the fight against the international plastic crisis by banning single-use plastics.

The ban supports global efforts to reduce plastic waste and pollution, which pose important threats to life underwater, human health, and ecosystems.

The United Nations Environmental Programme (UNEP) conducted research this year, and the findings were that in Lagos alone, an estimated 50–60 million used water sachets are thrown on the streets every day.

The ban will be applied in all national ministries, agencies, and departments, with the environmental department emphasising the need to lead by example, but it is due to be put into action by January 2025.

Businesses and industries are encouraged to revolutionise and adapt to eco-friendly choices over single-use plastics.

“If you look at the national policy on plastic waste management, which was adopted in 2020, it envisages that by 2025, some categories of plastic will be banned in Nigeria,” Deputy Minister of Environment, Iziaq Salako, said.

The single-use plastic ban is already criticised in Nigeria despite the benefits because most of them feel like they are highly dependent on plastics, like businesses relying on plastic packaging.

The government took these challenges to heart and assured stakeholders of support through incentives for maintainable practices and investments in recycling infrastructure.

The Nigerian government is enacting a new plastic policy that will focus on a phased approach to getting rid of plastic waste.