The Lagos state government is set to put in place policy guidelines for plastic utility to ensure a sustainable management of plastic waste which would curb the menace of increasing plastic waste and its negative effect on the environment.
The policy guidelines will also be backed up with appropriate legal framework to be established through an enabling law.
This was contained in a statement signed by the Commissioner for the Environment and Water Resources, Mr. Tunji Bello at the weekend.
He said the government will also put in place a strategy for identifying and disseminating sustainable plastic waste management knowledge to the public.
The strategy, Bello said, would also disseminate plastic waste Management knowledge to others including stakeholders in user-friendly formats and also incorporate sustainable plastic waste management knowledge into government implemented public awareness initiatives.
He stressed that plastic waste materials make up a significant proportion of solid wastes and litter in Lagos state adding that it has become a highly visible part of the waste stream (PET, Styrofoam and nylon commonly being used for Water & beverages, take away plates & cups, Carrier bags and others).
According to him, this development is posing environmental challenges ranging from Ecosystems degradation, Drainage clogging & flooding, Lagoon & Ocean debris with attendant harm to human resulting in high socio-economic impacts on the State.
The commissioner said that effective plastic waste management is fundamental to delivery of the state government’s priority transformational agenda as laid down in Lagos State Development Plan (LSDP) because it is a resource that can be managed to achieve economic, social and environmental benefits.
He added that sustainable plastic waste management will create value from the waste stream and formalize the waste-pickers’ sector to improve livelihoods and reduce the pressure on landfill saying that it will improve the situation of the State’s drainage channels and reduce plastic pollution in the marine environment.
Bello identified the cause of the menace to poor management of plastic waste that enters the environment through open dumping, open burning, and disposal in waterways.
The Commissioner said that there would be state guidelines for plastic utility to ensure a sustainable management of plastic waste with appropriate legal framework established through a law with provisions for the continuous implementation of the policy.
“As a responsible and responsive Government, we will strictly be observant of the principle of partnership and citizens’ buy-in.
“Private sector participation in plastic waste management activities to include but not limited to waste collection, transportation, building and operation of treatment plants, waste recovery and recycling” he revealed.
The commissioner said that governments all over the world have taken action to control the volume of plastic waste that gets into the environment by either banning the sale, charging customers or generating taxes from the stores that sell plastic products.
He stated that the Bangladesh government was the first to do so in 2002, imposing a total ban on lightweight plastic bags.
He stressed further that between 2010 and 2019, the number of public policies intended to phase out plastic carrier bags tripled. As of 1st August 2019, such bans have been introduced in 70 countries, with varying degrees of enforcement, whilst 33 countries imposed a charge per bag policy.