Pushed too far – Let’s get trolleys back where they belong

31 January 2019

The issue of trolleys being taken and dumped illegally into waterways and on footpaths in Liverpool has gone too far.

That’s the message echoed by Liverpool City Councillors and Mayor Wendy Waller.

“We take great care to ensure that Liverpool is a clean and vibrant place to live, so it is disheartening to see so many trolleys left abandoned across the city,” Mayor Waller said.

“They become hazardous objects to pedestrians and cause a build-up of debris in our creeks and waterways.

“Retailers need to step up to the task of reclaiming their trolleys so that councils across Australia, and ultimately their local communities, aren’t left cleaning up the mess.”

Mayor Waller said that she recently counted 36 shopping trolleys on a single street in Liverpool.

Last year Council resolved to explore legal avenues to ensure shopping centres prevent trolleys from being abandoned.

These could include requiring a wheel lock system if a trolley is taken 1km from the retailer’s radius.

“If retailers think smartly about upgrading their trolleys to include coin operation or a wheel lock mechanism, in the long-term they, Council and the community will benefit from the significant reduction in trolleys strewn throughout the city,” Mayor Waller said.

Council is urging residents to return trolleys to designated areas and to call a collection hotline when they encounter an abandoned trolley.

Council also recently launched a social media campaign to urge retailers to collect their trolleys while raising awareness of what can be done by the community.

“Residents are encouraged to simply take a picture of any abandoned trolleys spotted, post it to the retailer’s Facebook page with the location, tag @LiverpoolCityCouncil, and use the hashtag #trolleytrouble,” Mayor Waller said.

“This gives us a better opportunity of monitoring whether retailers are taking action.”

Visit www.liverpool.nsw.gov.au/report-a-trolley for retailers’ trolley collection hotlines.

To view the social media campaign, visit our facebook post