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One of the World’s Most Polluted Cities Has Banned Single-Use Plastics. It’s Not so Easy
The ban targets plastic pollution contributing to health risks, but officials report low compliance among residents despite enforcement efforts.
- Starting July 1, 2025, Lagos state authorities prohibited the use of disposable plastic items like cutlery, plates, and straws.
- The ban comes amid increasing plastic pollution in Lagos, where daily waste production reaches over 13,000 tons, with plastics making up nearly 20 percent of that total.
- Despite the ban, many residents and shop owners, including Ogunbona, continue using plastic packs and Styrofoam due to a lack of affordable alternatives and weak enforcement.
- Environmental activist Olumide Idowu emphasized that the law will fall short unless it is strongly enforced, low-income vendors have access to affordable alternatives, and the city’s strained waste management infrastructure is improved.
- The ban's partial implementation and ongoing challenges suggest the need for behavioral change, manufacturer involvement, and infrastructure improvements to reduce Lagos's significant plastic waste contribution.
14 Articles
14 Articles
One of the world’s most polluted cities, Lagos, has banned single-use
LAGOS: Nigerian shop manager Olarewanju Ogunbona says he uses Styrofoam and plastic packs at least five times a day — nothing unusual in the megacity of Lagos, one of the world’s most plastics-polluted urban areas. The city’s over 20 million people contributed 870,000 tons of the world’s 57 million tons of plastic waste in 2024. Lagos state authorities last month imposed a ban
Associated Press News
One of the world's most polluted cities has banned single-use plastics. It's not so easy
Nigeria’s economic capital of Lagos is one of the world’s most plastic-polluted cities. Lagos state authorities last month imposed a ban on single-use plastics, but residents say weak enforcement and the absence of alternatives weaken its effectiveness.
POLLUTED CITY BANS SINGLE-USE PLASTICS, FACES CHALLENGES
Wed 13 August 2025: Shop manager Olarewanju Ogunbona says he uses Styrofoam and plastic packs at least five times a day — nothing unusual in the megacity of Lagos, one of the world’s most plastics-polluted urban areas. The city’s over 20 million people contributed 870,000 tons of the world’s 57 million tons of . Lagos state authorities last month […]
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