The use of Styrofoam has been a topic of environmental concern and potential harm to ecosystem and human health.
Despite the ban, Styrofoam use persists due to what looks like an ineffective enforcement by government to ensure compliance.
The Oyo State Government in 2024 banned the use of Styrofoam for food packaging, storage, and related purposes in Ibadan and across the state.
Styrofoam, which is said to pose serious environmental threats by floating on stagnant water and clogging drainage channels, has been banned for over a year, but the enforcement seems not to be effective.
While traders in most markets within Ibadan metropolis openly display the product for sale, some alms givers have also not stopped distributing foods in these packs, oblivious of the ban already placed on it by the state government.
In an interview, a concerned Nigerian, Miss Olaitan Adesola, faulted the government for not stopping producers of Styrofoam from producing and distributing the products.
She said, “If the government officials are really serious about it, they would have stopped the production or the importation, but they are not serious about it.”
In another interview, a food seller, Madam Folashade Ashabi, expressed shock over people’s non-compliance with the ban.
According to her, she has received lectures on the threats it poses to health, and she has since then stopped using styrofoam. “It’s shocking to hear that some people still went ahead to use it despite the awareness.”
In an interview with a driver, Mr. Saheed Adeoye, denied any knowledge of the ban recently placed on the sale and use of Styrofoam by Oyo State Government. Mr. Adeoye however said Styrofoam is cheaper and more accessible than any alternative provided.
On his part, a Styrofoam seller, Mr. Qudus Ibrahim, advocated for government intervention to subsidise the alternatives.
The ban on Styrofoam is intended to address issues such as food poisoning; likewise, it also aims to minimise the impact off chemicals on public health.
It is however evident that there is a need for thorough enforcement. There should be an enforcement on the ban to tackle environmental degradation and promote sustainable living, it should target Styrofoam food packs, plastic straws, lightweight nylon bags, disposable cups, and plastic cutlery.
By Omowumi Abraham