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Controversy, confusion, and sorrow have accompanied the reactions from stakeholders, including sachet water vendors and consumers, as the Lagos State government gears up for a complete ban on single-use plastics.
In separate interviews with journalists on Sunday in Lagos, they expressed that the ban would worsen the existing economic difficulties faced by many in the country.
A sachet water vendor, Uchenna Martins, shared that she relies on the income from the pure water business to help her husband support their family. “The ban on single-use plastics, including sachet water, will increase poverty in the land as many of us depend on the sale to feed our families,” Ms. Martins stated.
A resident of Ayobo, a Lagos suburb, Segun Alabi, mentioned that due to the failure of the public water supply system, his family and many others in Lagos have relied on sachet water. He questioned what his family would do if pure water vendors and producers were impacted by the ban on single-use plastics.
A student, Bayo Olamide, noted that his parents depend on sachet water to refill his water container before he goes to school.
Oghenetega Emubor added that sachet water has been a significant source of relief for commuters in Lagos, especially when caught in traffic. “It is unimaginable to be stuck in Lagos traffic and feeling thirsty with a dry throat without the relief that a cold sachet of water provides,” Emubor remarked.
Regarding the upcoming ban on single-use plastics, Taiwo Adewale, managing director of Waste Exchange, emphasized the need for proper awareness and education from the government.
He stated that the government should clarify to the public what constitutes single-use plastic. “They need to know what is single-use, what is banned. Although some have already been phased out, like styrofoam,” Adewale explained.
He pointed out that Shoprite, for example, has eliminated nylon bags from all their stores, while some restaurants and hotels have stopped using plastic straws.
President of the Association of Scraps and Waste Pickers of Lagos, Friday Oku, expressed the association's support for the total ban on single-use plastics by the state government.
He mentioned that while sachet water nylon is recyclable, it does not provide them with enough income.
He added that the association's full support for the ban is based on the environmental issues caused by single-use plastics.
Meanwhile, it was noted that at Justrite Superstores on the Iyana Ipaja axis, management had prominently displayed signs throughout the stores in favor of the impending ban on single-use plastics.
They have jingles playing in the store encouraging customers to comply and bring reusable bags for shopping.
However, Bola Olatunji, a vendor of nylon bags and packaging materials at the Iyana-Ipaja market, stated that she was unaware of the upcoming total ban on single-use plastics.
Executive secretary of the Food and Beverage Recycling Alliance, Agharese Onaghise, declined to comment.
Similarly, president of the Association of Table Water Producers of Nigeria, Clementina Ativie, also refrained from commenting on the situation when approached by journalists.
The Lagos State government recently reaffirmed its commitment to the total ban on single-use plastics before the end of January during an inspection of drainage channels in the state.
The Commissioner for Environment and Water Resources, Tokunbo Wahab, made this statement while inspecting flood-prone areas and ongoing projects, as well as new initiatives on Lagos Island.
