Council calls for action over abandoned shopping trolleys

Many retailers have local arrangements for a speedy collection service but a small minority are not taking responsibility even though the Council has engaged with them directly and made their trolleys available for collection.

The council’s Pride In Your Community environmental improvement programme is focussed on the quality of the street scene and abandoned trolleys are a constant eyesore in some areas.

The call for businesses to act comes as the council is poised to crush a number of unclaimed trolleys – which have been in the council’s store for more than six weeks and in some cases up to 12 months.

The council has worked closely with Telford and Wrekin businesses to address the problem of eyesore abandoned trolleys. In most instances, companies either send out members of staff to collect them or use specialist trolley collection companies.

However, some firms have not put anything in place to collect trolleys and therefore the council has had to collect them.

Once the trolleys are removed, the relevant store is contacted and their trolleys are returned when they have paid a collection fee.

But some firms have not paid the outstanding charges, meaning the council will scrap them after a period of six weeks and then pursue the relevant company for the full charges.

Councillor Shaun Davies, cabinet member for Neighbourhood Services, said: “Abandoned trolleys are an eyesore, get filled with rubbish, can attract anti social behaviour and are a potential hazard to motorists and pedestrians.

“I personally make a point of reporting abandoned trolleys whenever I see them but it would be far better if all businesses that have trolleys have a process in place to collect any that are reported.

“I would urge all the companies we are working with to join us in taking pride in their community and ensuring their trolleys are collected when they are reported to us as abandoned.”