C
ardiff Council’s new policy to remedy the problem of abandoned shopping trolleys that are having an increasing impact upon our local environment has gone live today. Since the introduction of the all Wales carrier bag charge in 2011, the number of abandoned shopping trolleys has actually increased across Cardiff.
Cabinet Member for Environment, Cllr Ashley Govier said:
“The taking of shop trolleys is theft and the dumping of these trolleys blights areas and can bring a rundown feeling to our communities which in turn attracts further litter and fly-tipping as well as encouraging anti-social behaviour. Abandoned shopping trolleys can also harm wildlife and if dumped in a stream or river they can also create a flood hazard.
“Buying a new shopping trolley can cost anything from £100 to £180 so it is in the retailer’s interests to protect their assets. Businesses deploy different methods to protect their trolleys but it remains the case that several hundred are abandoned across Cardiff each year.”
To counteract this growing problem, we are using the Clean Neighbourhood and Environmental Act 2005 that allows us to:
- Seize and remove abandoned trolleys
- Store abandoned trolleys for a period of six weeks
- Serve a notice on the owner informing them the trolley will be disposed of if it is not claimed
- Sell or dispose of trolley once the six weeks has expired
- Charge owners to cover the removal, storage and disposal of the trolley
Cllr Govier added:
“The launch of this initiative will allow us to work with retailers to ensure they take greater ownership of their trolleys and means that we can take action if they don’t, whilst also preserving the visual appearance of an area, reducing waste and litter and its associated anti-social behaviour. We will also work with the supermarkets to explore theft-prevention measures and get the message out that stealing trolleys is unacceptable and illegal. We cannot tolerate this unnecessary blight on our communities and this administration is committed to improving the local environment for all our residents and this scheme will certainly go some way to improving the quality of life for all our residents in the city.”
