Playbook/Vizag: Beach cleanup to improve a public space
Steward: Sai
Summary: Logos Circle Vizag held an early-morning clean-up of a stretch of RK Beach, from the Gokul Park entrance toward Novotel, to tackle plastic waste and improve a shared public space. Ten volunteers collected eight bags of rubbish, and the Greater Visakhapatnam Municipal Corporation (GVMC) agreed to collect the filled bags at no cost. The activity drew in several passers-by who weren’t already part of the Circle, and a shared breakfast afterwards helped the group pick its next winnable issue. The whole event cost $74.41.
The issue
Logos Circle Vizag organised an early-morning clean-up of a stretch of RK Beach to address plastic waste and improve a shared public space. Ten volunteers worked together to collect rubbish, with the Greater Visakhapatnam Municipal Corporation (GVMC) agreeing to collect the filled bags at no cost. The group collected eight bags of waste, and the activity attracted several passers-by who were not already part of the Circle.
Why was it winnable
The beach could be cleaned up in one morning, and needed only volunteers, bags and gloves.
Who was affected
Locals and beach visitors.
The goal
Clean the RK Beach stretch from the Gokul Park entrance toward Novotel and raise awareness about plastic dumping.
What they did
- Choose a specific public area to clean. The Circle identified a stretch of RK Beach from the Gokul Park entrance toward Novotel as the target area.
- Set an early start time. The clean-up was scheduled for 6 AM to avoid the heat and allow volunteers to work before the area became busy.
- Coordinate with local waste collection services. Contact the local waste collection service before the clean-up to confirm that they can collect the rubbish bags afterwards. In this case, GVMC agreed to collect the waste at no extra cost.
- Recruit and organise volunteers. Ten people attended and were divided into small teams to cover different parts of the beach.
- Prepare basic supplies. Volunteers brought or sourced rubbish bags and gloves for collecting waste.
- Arrange waste collection in advance. GVMC provided a vehicle to collect the filled bags after the clean-up, so the waste had a clear destination.
- Clean the target area. Volunteers worked along the selected stretch, collecting plastic and other waste and filling the bags.
- Use the activity to start conversations. While cleaning, volunteers spoke with local people and visitors about plastic dumping and keeping shared spaces clean.
- Provide a simple break. Water was made available during the clean-up.
- Bring the group together afterwards. The volunteers had breakfast together and discussed what they had observed and which other local problems might be worth tackling.
- Use the discussion to identify the next issue. The post-clean-up conversation helped the Circle develop its next winnable issue.
Who they worked with
GVMC, the Circle volunteers, and local passers by.
What worked
Kicking off the Vizag Circle with a practical activity helped build a sense of teamwork and made it easier for the Circle members to engage with one another and build trust. The 6 AM start kept the clean-up manageable before the beach became busy. Having GVMC collect the filled bags meant the group had a clear way to dispose of the waste. The shared breakfast created space for reflection and helped surface the next winnable issue. The activity also attracted several people who had not originally registered, showing that visible action could draw in passers-by.
What didn't work
Seven of the 17 people who registered did not attend, making it harder to plan the activity around the expected turnout. The group also did not have printed awareness materials to help reinforce the message about reducing plastic dumping and keeping the beach clean beyond the conversations held during the activity.
The outcome
The stretch was cleaned and the waste collected by GVMC. 8 bags of trash was collected.
What was learned
Send a day-before WhatsApp confirmation and a morning reminder with a location pin. Bring Telugu (local language) awareness cards. Invite the GVMC contact to a later Circle to see how work together could be continued.
What could another Circle replicate
An early-morning clean-up arranged with the municipal waste service, followed by a shared breakfast to surface the next issue. The total expense for the cleaning materials, breakfast, transport, sanitizers and water was $74.41.
Resources
Forum post - https://forum.logos.co/t/logos-circle-vizag-3-aug-2026/1880