LAGOS, Nigeria (AP) — Nigerian shop manager Olarewanju Ogunbona says he uses Styrofoam and plastic packs at least five times a day — nothing unusual in the megacity of Lagos, one of the world's most plastics-polluted urban areas.

The city's over 20 million people contributed 870,000 tons of the world's 57 million tons of plastic waste in 2024 . Lagos state authorities last month imposed a ban on single-use plastics, but residents say weak enforcement and the absence of alternatives have weakened its effectiveness.

Under the law that kicked off on July 1, the use of single-use plastics such as cutlery, plates and straws is banned and offenders risk their businesses being shut down. However, other forms of plastics, which make up a smaller percentage of the city’s waste, are still in u

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