The Greater Visakhapatnam Municipal Corporation has introduced nine new "say no to plastic" stalls in major markets and rythu bazaars in Visakhapatnam, following the success of the first stall, which opened on February 8 in Poorna Market. On the first day, the Poorna Market stall made nearly Rs 15,000 in sales. The GVMC has begun setting up these "say no to plastic" stalls in an effort to steer the public away from single-use plastic alternatives, and these stalls will be doubled in the coming weeks.     

As an alternative to single-use plastic, these stalls sell eco-friendly bags and items made of sugarcane waste, jute, cloth, paper, and other materials. According to GVMC commissioner P. Raja Babu, the city generates approximately 10 tonnes of single-use plastic waste. So, GVMC  first set up a meeting with the wholesalers and came to know that the plastic alternatives are available only to the tune of three tonnes a day.  The efforts in the following months resulted in an increase of these environmentally friendly items to six tonnes per day. The GVMC hopes to increase its availability to eight tonnes in the coming months.                     
                                                                                                                                                     The first stall at Poorna Market contributed to a reduction in single-use plastic usage in the market area, and the usage came down drastically. To further reduce the use of single-use plastic in Visakhapatnam, the remaining 9 stalls have been set up at Jagadamba Junction, Gajuwaka, Madhurawada, Tagarapuvalsa, MVP Colony, Seethammadhara, Anakapalle Main Road, Gavara Kancharapalem and Vepagunta. These environmentally friendly bags will decompose in the soil in a matter of weeks and will not harm the environment.