Lagos State Government has barred the staff of its environmental protection agency LASEPA from the use of plastics and pet bottles.
Disclosing this, the permanent secretary, office of environmental services, ministry of the environment and water resources, Belinda Odeneye, expressed worries over increasing rate of single-use plastics, pet bottles, polythene and other non-biodegradable items by Lagosians.
Mrs Odeneye stressed that there is an urgent need to reverse the trend through the use of reusable plastics or biodegradable materials.
General manager of LASEPA Dolapo Fasawe said the agency is experimenting with the ban before making recommendations to other ministries, departments and agencies of the government to embrace the advocacy on reusable items and the ban on single-use plastic items.
Fasawe said: “Today, I will be handing over some dispensers as well as some reusable items to all the departments and units as my personal contribution to this campaign on the ban of single-use plastics by all staff of LASEPA.
“Beyond giving out these items, the long term goal is to ensure compliance by all the staff of this agency because I want the ban on these items to be effective and the staff to become advocates of this initiative in their various residences and communities.”
This year, Fasawe said the agency would be focusing on air quality in the state in order to limit the effect of polluted air, which is currently affecting vulnerable age groups, particularly the elderly and babies.
