Hyderabad has taken a step towards addressing the growing concern of excessive usage of single-use plastic and promoting the use of cloth bags. The Greater Hyderabad Municipal Corporation (GHMC) has launched the first-of-its-kind initiative, the Any Time Bag (ATB) machine at the IDPL fruit market. This vending machine allows people to purchase cloth bags directly, with the capacity to hold up to 5 kg weight and can accommodate 500 bags. Payments can be made through UPI or by inserting a Rs 10 coin or note.
The ATB machine is powered by solar energy and is a joint effort between the GHMC and women Self Help Groups (SHGs). The SHGs will produce the cloth bags, with the required material provided by the GHMC. After stitching, the bags will be loaded into the vending machine. This initiative will allow SHGs to earn around Rs 7,500 per month.
The GHMC plans to install more cloth bag dispensing machines across the city and another ATB machine will be set up near JNTU Rythu Bazar soon. The installation of the cloth vending machine at the IDPL fruit market is a collaboration between GHMC, MOVAT, United Way of Hyderabad as the implementation partner, and falls under their Corporate Social Responsibility. The GHMC officials are optimistic that this initiative will not only help to eliminate single-use plastics but also reduce unemployment among women self-help groups.
