By Modupe Gbadeyanka
The use of Styrofoam foils for the packaging of food and others has been prohibited in Abia State days after the Lagos State government took a similar step.
A statement issued over the weekend and signed by the Commissioner for Environment, Mr Philemon Ogbonna Asonye, said the action was taken to protect the environment.
The Commissioner said the use of takeaway packs in the state had already been banned by the state government, but the implementation was relaxed.
However, he emphasised that this time, the state government was serious about the prohibition and would deal decisively with defaulters.
Mr Asonye appealed to members of the public to immediately discontinue the use of Styrofoam foils until investigations are fully carried out on the dangers of the product to public health.
Recall that on Sunday, January 21, 2024, the Lagos State government banned the use of takeaway packs and single-use plastics in the state.
“Following the menace which single-use plastics especially non-biodegradable Styrofoam are causing on the environment, the Lagos State government, through the Ministry of the Environment and Water Resources, is hereby announcing a ban on the usage and distribution of Styrofoam and other single-use plastics in the state with immediate effect,” the Commissioner for Environment and Water Resources, Mr Tokunbo Wahab, said.
