Stakeholders have called on the Nigerian government to let its proposed ban on single-use plastic take effect from 2024 as opposed to the current 2028 date contained in the proposed National Policy on Plastic Waste Management
This stance is contained in the resolutions adopted at the workshop on “Civil Society Organizations’ Engagement with National and International Plastic Policy Processes” held in Lagos on February 13 and 14, 2023 by the Global Alliance for Incineration Alternatives (GAIA) Nigeria Members.
The hybrid forum, which drew national and international stakeholders from the value chain of plastic policy processes, suggested that the ban should start with styrofoam, microbeads, carrier bags, plastic spoons, straws, and disposable cups as, according to the participants, they have no economic value or recycling potential.
Read Also: US nominates Banga to lead World Bank in climate fight
They asked the government to set up a National Plastic Treaty Steering Committee (NSC), saying it should act to oversee the procedure and offer direction.
However, they urged the government to refrain from implementing Waste to Energy Technology like chemical recycling facilities and municipal waste incinerators, which they refer to as “false solutions.”
The forum demanded that the government declare a state of emergency on plastic production and the transparency of its chemical constituents while highlighting the need for a national campaign and the development of policymakers’ capacity on the toxicity of plastic within Nigeria’s plastic value chain.
They added that all efforts by the public, private and civil societies should be geared towards a zero-waste economy.
Story was adapted from Enviro News
