Increased supermarket trolley dumpings could be due to removal of single-use plastic bags
NORTHERN beaches supermarkets are being urged to hurry up and collect shopping trolleys abandoned by lazy customers near beaches and parks, with concerns the banning of single-use plastic bags has led to more trolley dumpings.
Manly
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SUPERMARKETS are being urged to hurry up and collect shopping trolleys abandoned by lazy customers near beaches and parks.
Northern Beaches Council has written to the retailers urging them to remove trolleys left dumped for “lengthy periods of time”.
The Manly Daily has seen one group of Aldi trolleys sitting on the East Esplanade at Manly for a week, even though the supermarket is just 150m away.
One Manly resident suggested an increasing number of trolleys were being left behind after customers used them to wheel their groceries home because they did not want to pay for reusable plastic bags.
Chris Ford, of Trolley Tracker, which helps councils and residents report dumped trolleys, said the phasing out of single-use plastic bags “may be a factor” in more trolleys being dumped.
Council general manager of planning, place and community David Kerr said abandoned
trolleys not only made streets and parks untidy but took time to manage and could be a burden on council resources.
“Council actively communicates with local supermarkets when their trolleys are left in public places for lengthy periods of time,” Mr Kerr said.
“Recently, council wrote to supermarkets in the region to request their ongoing co-operation on this matter.
“We also use the Trolley Tracker System to report abandoned trolleys to ensure collectors pick up trolleys as fast as possible.”
If a supermarket does not collect its trolley or one is found in a precarious spot, the council can impound the trolley for 28 days.
When this period expires, the supermarket must pay a release fee or the trolley is recycled by the council.
Coles said it provided trolleys to its customers for their convenience but spent a “significant amount” each year collecting trolleys removed from the shops.
“We are actively working to make this better across the nation, including regular collections of abandoned trolleys with vehicles on the road daily,” a Coles spokesman said.
“To assist in helping us manage trolley abandonment, members of the public can also use the Coles app on their smartphones to report trolleys using GPS, or call 1800 876 553 (1800 TROLLEY) and we’ll collect them as soon as possible.”
Aldi Australia uses a coin deposit system as an incentive for customers to return its trolleys.
“We see our coin deposit system as a key preventive measure against trolleys being dumped in backstreets, waterways and public areas,” a spokesman said. “Furthermore, we engage the services of regular trolley collectors.
“(We) always follow up on reports from the community to ensure abandoned trolleys are reclaimed.”
