“Bring your plates” was Chicken Republic’s cheeky response to Lagos state’s sudden ban on styrofoam and single-use plastics. The Nigerian fast-food franchise, known for its signature styrofoam packaging, welcomed the new development announced by the Commissioner for the Environment and Water Resources, Tokunbo Wahab. The ban is a reaction to the menace that single-use plastics, especially non-biodegradable styrofoam, are causing on the environment. In Lagos, the ban was initially to take effect the same day it was announced. In Abia state, there were reports that defaulters were arrested and sanctioned in the state’s capital, Umuahia on the same day it was announced, during the state’s monthly Clean Up exercise. An abrupt ban affects over 10,000 SMEs and over 100,000 jobs in the plastic industry. According to the U.S.-Nigeria Trade Council, this could place a huge financial burden, especially on businesses that had stocked up products these products. Phasing out the use of styrofoam and single-use plastics could help avoid this.
SOURCE: VENTURES AFRICA