Abia Government Bans Styrofoam “Take Away” Packs

Abia State Governor, Alex Otti

The state of Abia has joined Lagos in outlawing the use of Styrofoam containers

The Abia State Ministry of Environment has outlawed the use of “Take Away,” or Styrofoam foils.

The product's use as food containers is prohibited in the state, according to a statement released by the ministry on Saturday and signed by Philemon Ogbonna, Commissioner for the Environment.

He informed the public to immediately stop using the foils until thorough research into the product's potential risks to public health was completed, pointing out that Take Away had previously been outlawed in a number of states, including Lagos.

See: Abia State Governor, Appoints Dr. Ngozi Okonjo-Iweala And Others As Members Of Abia Global Economic Advisory Council (AGEAC) [VIDEO]

Meanwhile, as part of the state's January 2024 Clean Up initiative, a few defaulters were detained and punished in Umuahia on Saturday. The defaulters were caught either trading or loitering, in violation of the government's previous orders, and they were apprehended in certain areas of the State capital during the environmental sanitation hours.

However, a high degree of compliance was observed during the clean-up, as many residents cleared their gutters and state-provided trucks removed generated waste.