Supermarkets charged more than £8,000 for abandoned trolleys

SUPERMARKETS in Carmarthenshire have been charged a total of £8,200 for the recovery, storage and return of abandoned shopping trolleys since February 2011.

The council introduced a policy to charge shops and supermarkets to try and reduce the problem of abandoned shopping trolleys, which have a negative impact on the environment, can cause injury to people and damage to property and vehicles.

Shops are charged £10 per trolley for recovery, £10 per trolley per week for storage and £10 per trolley for return plus a £20 admin fee per batch released.

In total 206 trolleys have been collected since the policy was launched – 145 have been returned, 40 have been scrapped (because they were unclaimed or untraceable) with the remainder currently in storage.

Executive Board Member for Environmental and Public Protection Cllr Jim Jones said: “The aim of the policy was to encourage supermarkets to have better control and management of their trolleys.

“When abandoned, these trolleys have a negative effect on the quality of the local environment, and trolleys abandoned in water courses have the further potential to cause blockages which result in a significant flooding risk.

“I am delighted that since the policy was introduced more supermarkets have introduced coin operated trolleys and fitted on locks which has helped to reduce the numbers being abandoned. Of the 206 collected, almost half – 97 – were collected within the first six months which shows that the policy has been a success.”