The project aims to develop a plastic waste management strategy for the region, and to disseminate the inputs/lessons learned to the Telangana State Government for their consideration in developing a state-level plastic waste management plan, and to the national government for their consideration in developing policy and legislation in the future.

• The Plastic Waste Management Strategy and Action Plan for Greater Hyderabad Municipal Corporation (GHMC) is the first holistic strategy for plastic waste management in not only GHMC, but also Telangan State, that supports the national policy to ban single use plastics by 2022. It  provides policy directions, an enabling framework, technical alternatives and financial incentives to reduce the use of single use plastics, and promote separate waste collection, plastic waste recycling, and value chain as well as institutional capacities. The draft strategy and action plan was well received among stakeholders at the final stakeholder consultation workshop, and which was covered by both local newspapers and TV programmes.

• As a first step for its implementation, the women self-help group in the area started campaigning to stop the use of single use plastics (carrying bags) in shops and the temple area. To encourage shops to join the programme, GHMC gives an award to those which do not use the single use plastics. In addition, the project preparation activities included the establishment of return vending machines (RVM) to collect used PET bottles for promoting the recycling of resources.