The City of Swan is imploring the major supermarket chains to step up and take responsibility for their abandoned shopping trolleys littering the community.
City of Swan Deputy Mayor Mel Congerton said trolley litter is an escalating problem and the City is lobbying supermarket chains to take urgent action.
“Abandoned trolleys are an eyesore for our residents, plus they create safety risks for footpath users, cyclists and motorists, and also clog our waterways,” he said.
“Our community deserve suburbs that are appealing and safe places to walk, ride and play, and not to have to deal with shopping trolleys littering their local streets, footpaths and parks.
“Retailers need to step up and take responsibility for the nuisance that abandoned trolleys are causing in the City of Swan and in the broader Perth metropolitan area.”
Last month, the City wrote to big retailers including Coles, SpudShed, Dan Murphys, ALDI, Woolworths, IGA, Target, Kmart, First Choice Liquor, Bunnings, and Big W to request a more regular, proactive collection of abandoned shopping trolleys in the City of Swan.
“We are now publicly imploring these retailers to be responsible corporate citizens and show some care for how shopping trolleys impact communities,” Cr Congerton said.
In 2020, the City undertook a trial of collecting abandoned shopping trolleys in the Midland area, which saw 80 trolleys collected every week at an estimated cost of $45,000 per annum to City ratepayers.
In December 2021, the City advertised a proposed amendment to its Local Laws to charge retailers a trolley impoundment fee, with this proposal due to be considered by Council in early 2023.
Recently, the City partnered with Snap Send Solve to enable community members to easily report abandoned trolleys and other issues using an app on their smartphones.
The City also encourages community members to report abandoned trolleys through Trolley Tracker via trolleytracker.com.au/report-a-trolley
Tagged as: City of Swan
