Liverpool City Council in Australia is tackling the persistent problem of abandoned shopping trolleys with a novel approach: subsidizing personal trolleys for residents. The council aims to distribute up to 500 subsidized trolleys, potentially selling them for as little as $10 each, using funds from the environment levy.
This initiative represents a shift from punitive measures to a more incentivized approach. The council acknowledges previous attempts to address the issue through fines and penalties have been less effective. Other councils, such as Canterbury-Bankstown, are utilizing AI technology and cameras to identify and map dumped trolleys, highlighting a variety of strategies being employed across the region.
The problem of abandoned shopping trolleys is significant in New South Wales. Data from Snap Send Solve indicates that complaints about abandoned trolleys are substantial, ranking second only to parking complaints in 2023, with 37,764 reported incidents.
The council notes that discarded trolleys create environmental problems, including blockages in drainage systems and attracting additional litter and illegal dumping.
The proposal to investigate options to subsidise personal trolleys passed unanimously at a council meeting last Wednesday night. Harle said he plans to use funds from the environment levy to pay for as many as 500 of the trolleys.
Harle said he hoped the trolleys, which he would like to be sold for as little as $10, would reduce dumping by focusing on what residents need rather than punishing them.
“We’ve tried the stick approach, let now try the carrot approach,” he said.
The council has found the trolleys in drainage systems where they have caused blockages, and the sight of them on the side of the road acts as a magnet for more waste and illegal dumping, the council said.
Liverpool isn’t the only council area struggling to rid public places of dumped trolleys. Canterbury-Bankstown introduced a trial using AI technology and cameras mounted to street sweepers to identify abandoned trolleys.
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The council uses data from the cameras to create a heatmap and target areas of most concern. In the first few weeks of the trial, the cameras identified hundreds of trolleys each week.
Abandoned trolleys are one of NSW’s most complained about gripes. Data from Snap Send Solve previously reported by this masthead revealed it was the second-biggest issue for locals after parking, with 37,764 complaints in 2023.
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