In furtherance of the enforcement of the ban on Styrofoam and other single-use materials, the Lagos State Government has cleared Five Cowrie Creek of marine waste, while monitoring the enforcement of the ban on the outlawed material.
The enforcement team was led by the Managing Director of the Lagos State Waste Management Agency (LAWMA), Muyiwa Gbadegesin, who led officials of the agency to the creek to clear the waterway of debris and other waste materials.
In a tweet, the Managing Director of LAWMA, said “I visited Five Cowrie Creek this weekend to inspect marine waste. Single-use plastics threaten marine life & violate SDGs, especially #SDG14. Lagos banned Styrofoams to combat this. Let’s back eco-friendly practices for a cleaner Lagos.”
Styrofoam was banned by the State Government in the wake of the environmental impact of the use of the material, which had caused blockage of gutters, canals and other waterways in the State.
The government later held townhall meetings with relevant stakeholders in the industrial and environmental sectors to find out more pragmatic ways of enforcing the ban and ensuring that the move does not hurt businesses in the State.
However, the State Government has remained resolute in ensuring a total stoppage of the use of Styrofoam as it has shown to have deleterious impact on the environment, leading to perennial flooding in several parts of the State.