Lagos Plastic Ban 2025: What’s In and What’s Out

 

Dear Lagosians,

A few months ago, you may have noticed that takeout food packs and some plastic items were banned in Lagos. This decision was made by the Lagos State Government in 2024. If you’ve been wondering why this happened and how far the ban goes, here’s what you need to know:

The Lagos State Government has explained that the ban on single-use plastics, starting July 1, 2025, will NOT include plastic bottles (PET), water sachets, or nylon bags that are thicker than 40 microns.

This clarification was made by the Commissioner for the Environment and Water Resources,

Tokunbo Wahab, on Tuesday. He said there was confusion and misinformation suggesting the ban would cover all types of single-use plastics.

Wahab confirmed that the enforcement of the ban will begin on July 1, after an 18-month grace period which started in January 2024.

Speaking during a visit by Tetra Pak West Africa at his office in Alausa, Ikeja, Wahab explained that the ban was made to protect our environment and public health.

“As a coastal city below sea level, with only 3,575 square kilometers of land and home to about 10% of Nigeria’s population, plastic waste is a serious threat to us,” Wahab said. “We didn’t just decide to ban styrofoam in 2024 without reason.”

The ban mainly affects styrofoam takeaway packs, polystyrene cups, plastic straws, plastic cutlery, and thin plastic carrier bags and nylons (less than 40 microns thick).

To make this work, the Lagos State Government has launched the Plastic Waste Management Fund. This project will bring the government, producers, and big importers together to tackle plastic pollution in Lagos. The fund will be supported by contributions from these producers and importers, and they will all work together to reduce plastic waste in our state. And that is the new Lagos Standard.