Abandonded Supermarket Trolleys

[Sojourner]

Looks like the Brisbane City Council are not to keen on Shopping Trolleys being left dumped in creeks and so on - interesting that both Coles and Woolworths were not reported as being interested in getting their lost trolleys back which suggests that they either are not worth very much, or its better to play politics and get them sold for scrap metal!

http://www.westender.com.au/news/807

Trolleys for the scrapheap

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Brisbane City Council loses patience with supermarket giants - sells abandoned trolleys for scrap


Supermarket giants Coles and Woolworths have turned their backs on Brisbane’s abandoned trolleys, refusing to pay for the return of the shopping carts at a public tender.

Lord Mayor Campbell Newman today said Council was left with no option but to sell the trolleys for scrap after the supermarket chains turned their back on them.

Last year Council collected over 8000 trolleys from roads, footpaths and creeks. Over 6000 of the shopping carts were from Coles and Woolworths, with Coles the worst offender.

Cr Newman said the trolleys were sold at tender to a scrap metal company for as little as $5 each because the supermarkets would not offer a bid.

“The irony of all this is these trolleys may be scrapped and turned into new shopping trolleys all over again, which could end up on our streets again,” the Lord Mayor said.

“Unless companies like Coles lift their games and take responsibility for their trolley fleet, we will have more trolleys on our roads and in our rivers and creeks in the future.”

Public outrage over abandoned trolleys prompted Brisbane City Council to begin collecting them over a year ago.

Council originally offered the trolleys back to the supermarkets for a fee which was designed to cover the cost of collection. But supermarkets refused to pay in a move akin to treating ratepayers as a trolley collection service.

Cr Newman credited Woolworths with responding well to Council’s requests for action on abandoned trolleys. It began the rollout of coin-operated locks after the Woolworths supermarket at Buranda lost its entire trolley fleet in one year to theft.

Coles resisted requests to change but recently has begun taking action to secure trolleys.

The Lord Mayor said Brisbane City Council had the support of other South East Queensland Councils, such as Logan City Council, which last week copied Brisbane’s move to issue fines to companies which did not secure their trolley fleet.

Local Government Association of Queensland executive director Greg Hallam said abandoned trolleys were an issue affecting all Councils, particularly larger ones.

Brisbane City Council last year passed tougher trolley legislation with the support of the State Government that enabled action to be taken against individual supermarkets and supermarket chains.

The legislation required trolley owners to secure trolleys to their premises using a range of measures that include wheel locks, patrols and coin operated mechanisms. Penalties range from $200 for a first offence to up to $20,000 for three offences within 12 months.

[smac]

The bloody things don't go straight if they have been in a supermarket for 20 minutes, never mind after a trip to the local creek! Of course they don't want them back - have to be cheaper to replace than repair.

[White Line Fever]

I take great care with my pre-shop selection, with a quick 5 metre test drive.

[Wedgie]

There needs to be mor Bubbles in this world.

[Farmy]

I use the trolley as a grill brother.

[Brucetiki]

I love the 'You Better Shop Around' episodes of Married with Children when the Bundy's and the Darcy's are battling it out for the 1000th customer prize in the supermarket.

Al constructs the Cart of Death, which is approved because it has 'We Love Foodies' on it. The Darcy's get a trolley off a bag lady in perfect condition, the store manager test's it, doesn't wobble, and orders that the Darcy's get a 'regulation cart'.

Tried looking for it on YouTube but teh only version was dubbed over

[heater31]

Saw a skip load of these here in Adelaide today. One would assume they had the same fate