Debate Rages On Over Dumped Woolworths Trolleys - Who’s to blame?

Woolworths is under fire after photos of several of their shopping trolleys dumped in various locations around the Whitsundays in Queensland surfaced online.

Following the discovery of the carts in the Port of Airlie marina, a heated discussion arose as to whether the store should be held accountable for recovering the stolen carts.

One worried local raised the matter on Facebook, stating Woolworths must take responsibility to stop people from taking the trolleys away from its store's vicinity.

The man questioned: 'When is Woolworths going to take responsibility or be held to account for people removing shopping trolleys from their premises and littering our beautiful town and our oceans?'



The resident continued, saying that in other cities, supermarkets have geo-locks on their trolleys which prevent them from being taken outside a certain area.

He explained: 'Go to any city and they have geo-locks on them, which means the wheels lock up as soon as they pass an imaginary line, meaning people can't remove them from outside the supermarket determined area.'

'Please, someone do something!'

JHvSe782zgmBsy7DNToDR1f67UHZ7ZVzPlV2jYyhS5_i8licU-gYSlI2NOwk-FnYprZsmsrAEPYQWh5LK-YA8tRpflym3660riaVR_s4dOT2g2jfDaXkWd_Vi1xT9JLn8jrfduE9O8PXPYLQaqT0dA

A heated discussion on who’s responsible for the abandoned trolleys sparked when concerned citizens found the Woolworths shopping trolleys at the Port of Airlie marina. Credit: Facebook.

The post was flocked by hundreds of Facebook users who expressed their mixed opinions on the matter, with some jumping to the supermarket giant's defence.

One person argued: 'Hang on, how is this Woolies fault? This has nothing to do with Woolies. They provide these for you to use, thankfully. Not to abuse them.'

'What's Woolies to do? Put all their trolleys on a leash? When will human beings stop being lazy, vandalising and destructive is my question?' another asked.



While everyone acknowledged the drawbacks of having trolleys abandoned in one location, many argued that Woolworths should not be held accountable for the incident.

One user wrote: 'This is the issue with society. Always ready to point the finger at everyone else rather than the individual.'

'Why can't people just return them to the trolley bays instead of being lazy, obviously trolleys are supplied for the convenience of the shopper, so once finished put them back!' another said.

A third added: 'Any shopping centre is not responsible for the actions of the individual shopper. Don't you mean when are people going to be more responsible for their actions?'

mCtl2fLVd1NdZduFkCwGx9XFjLNJhBNwA4S1xkzQHp_MOI2LMUBMAzztBvGI5bu4kQSmY6tMW7Pa_6yWjgH_pB_Fd5BKepWXvAxclcgr6Gw034dDEmu1zCp7nxH6iJJk9vcNvbYbVq6yjH41fJr5hQ

Some argued that irresponsible customers should be responsible for the trolleys instead of Woolworths. Credit: Facebook.

Some participants in the Facebook group blamed boaters who moor their vessels at the marina, accusing them of tossing shopping carts into the sea after taking their food out of them.

'Terribly lazy of people not to return the trolleys! Maybe the marina could have a trolley bay area for those boaties that don't have cars to drop their trolleys off? Then at least all those trolleys are easier for Woolies staff to collect,' one user pointed out.

Another said: 'If boaties are capable of pushing a shopping trolley to the marina maybe they should push it back to the shops instead of just leaving them everywhere and expecting someone else to clean up after them.'



A Woolworths representative also commented on the issue, confirming that the company spends millions on collection services to lessen the negative effects of abandoned trolleys on the neighbourhood.

'Trolleys are provided for the convenience of our customers and the vast majority do the right thing in returning them,' the spokesperson explained.

'We understand abandoned trolleys can be a nuisance and that's why we invest millions in collection services to help mitigate their impact in the community.'

'We work closely with dedicated collection contractors who respond quickly to reports of abandoned trolleys to return them to our stores. They also conduct regular sweeps for abandoned trolleys in the streets surrounding our stores.'

'These efforts not only help preserve local amenity but also ensure we have enough trolleys available for our customers in our stores.'

The representative also said that in order to quickly remove abandoned trolleys from an area, Woolworths has partnered with Trolley Tracker, a service that enables members of the public to report them online or by making a free phone call to 1800 641 497.

While shopping trolleys are a vital part of the shopping experience, they can also be a real nuisance when they are abandoned.



Abandoned shopping trolleys can cause all sorts of problems. They can block pavements and access routes, and they can be a trip hazard. They can also be a target for vandalism and anti-social behaviour.

The cost of recovering abandoned trolleys can be significant for businesses and local authorities. In some cases, trolleys are even stolen from store premises, which can add to the cost.

Keeping this in mind, we should always return the trolleys back to their designated areas in our local stores to avoid contributing to the worsening issue. There you have it, folks! What are your thoughts on this issue? Do you think the resident is right for demanding action from Woolworths? Or do you think the local should redirect his anger towards irresponsible customers?
 
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Invisible line trolley's !!! I've never heard of them.

It's definitely the customers fault , when you go to your car it's not that hard to return the trolley to the trolley bay.

If you have to walk home then invest in one of those shopping carts.

Customers if caught dumping trolley's should be fined.

The supermarkets supply us with these trolley's to help us so we should be doing the right thing.

I think the the person complaining isn't looking at the view of the supermarkets, does he think the supermarkets want to lose their trolleys
 
Woolworths is under fire after photos of several of their shopping trolleys dumped in various locations around the Whitsundays in Queensland surfaced online.

Following the discovery of the carts in the Port of Airlie marina, a heated discussion arose as to whether the store should be held accountable for recovering the stolen carts.

One worried local raised the matter on Facebook, stating Woolworths must take responsibility to stop people from taking the trolleys away from its store's vicinity.

The man questioned: 'When is Woolworths going to take responsibility or be held to account for people removing shopping trolleys from their premises and littering our beautiful town and our oceans?'



The resident continued, saying that in other cities, supermarkets have geo-locks on their trolleys which prevent them from being taken outside a certain area.

He explained: 'Go to any city and they have geo-locks on them, which means the wheels lock up as soon as they pass an imaginary line, meaning people can't remove them from outside the supermarket determined area.'

'Please, someone do something!'

JHvSe782zgmBsy7DNToDR1f67UHZ7ZVzPlV2jYyhS5_i8licU-gYSlI2NOwk-FnYprZsmsrAEPYQWh5LK-YA8tRpflym3660riaVR_s4dOT2g2jfDaXkWd_Vi1xT9JLn8jrfduE9O8PXPYLQaqT0dA

A heated discussion on who’s responsible for the abandoned trolleys sparked when concerned citizens found the Woolworths shopping trolleys at the Port of Airlie marina. Credit: Facebook.

The post was flocked by hundreds of Facebook users who expressed their mixed opinions on the matter, with some jumping to the supermarket giant's defence.

One person argued: 'Hang on, how is this Woolies fault? This has nothing to do with Woolies. They provide these for you to use, thankfully. Not to abuse them.'

'What's Woolies to do? Put all their trolleys on a leash? When will human beings stop being lazy, vandalising and destructive is my question?' another asked.



While everyone acknowledged the drawbacks of having trolleys abandoned in one location, many argued that Woolworths should not be held accountable for the incident.

One user wrote: 'This is the issue with society. Always ready to point the finger at everyone else rather than the individual.'

'Why can't people just return them to the trolley bays instead of being lazy, obviously trolleys are supplied for the convenience of the shopper, so once finished put them back!' another said.

A third added: 'Any shopping centre is not responsible for the actions of the individual shopper. Don't you mean when are people going to be more responsible for their actions?'

mCtl2fLVd1NdZduFkCwGx9XFjLNJhBNwA4S1xkzQHp_MOI2LMUBMAzztBvGI5bu4kQSmY6tMW7Pa_6yWjgH_pB_Fd5BKepWXvAxclcgr6Gw034dDEmu1zCp7nxH6iJJk9vcNvbYbVq6yjH41fJr5hQ

Some argued that irresponsible customers should be responsible for the trolleys instead of Woolworths. Credit: Facebook.

Some participants in the Facebook group blamed boaters who moor their vessels at the marina, accusing them of tossing shopping carts into the sea after taking their food out of them.

'Terribly lazy of people not to return the trolleys! Maybe the marina could have a trolley bay area for those boaties that don't have cars to drop their trolleys off? Then at least all those trolleys are easier for Woolies staff to collect,' one user pointed out.

Another said: 'If boaties are capable of pushing a shopping trolley to the marina maybe they should push it back to the shops instead of just leaving them everywhere and expecting someone else to clean up after them.'



A Woolworths representative also commented on the issue, confirming that the company spends millions on collection services to lessen the negative effects of abandoned trolleys on the neighbourhood.

'Trolleys are provided for the convenience of our customers and the vast majority do the right thing in returning them,' the spokesperson explained.

'We understand abandoned trolleys can be a nuisance and that's why we invest millions in collection services to help mitigate their impact in the community.'

'We work closely with dedicated collection contractors who respond quickly to reports of abandoned trolleys to return them to our stores. They also conduct regular sweeps for abandoned trolleys in the streets surrounding our stores.'

'These efforts not only help preserve local amenity but also ensure we have enough trolleys available for our customers in our stores.'

The representative also said that in order to quickly remove abandoned trolleys from an area, Woolworths has partnered with Trolley Tracker, a service that enables members of the public to report them online or by making a free phone call to 1800 641 497.

While shopping trolleys are a vital part of the shopping experience, they can also be a real nuisance when they are abandoned.



Abandoned shopping trolleys can cause all sorts of problems. They can block pavements and access routes, and they can be a trip hazard. They can also be a target for vandalism and anti-social behaviour.

The cost of recovering abandoned trolleys can be significant for businesses and local authorities. In some cases, trolleys are even stolen from store premises, which can add to the cost.

Keeping this in mind, we should always return the trolleys back to their designated areas in our local stores to avoid contributing to the worsening issue. There you have it, folks! What are your thoughts on this issue? Do you think the resident is right for demanding action from Woolworths? Or do you think the local should redirect his anger towards irresponsible customers?
So this would be the same as large fast food outlets being responsible for the paper bags and cups you see on the side of the HWY when you are travelling, do they have to come and collect these? Maybe some tax payer money could be used on this sort of thing instead of being wasted on overseas projects that do not work.
 
Don't see too many of Aldi's trolleys around the streets, good idea to have an invisible line trolleys can't pass. That would be entertaining watching someone trying to make off with a trolley.
I live near a shopping centre that has these. It is a very large area so was installed to try to keep the trolleys near the actual shop. But as they are used to lock the wheels, it is easy to "jump" these lines and go on your merry way. Not a successful solution in my mind. No amount of technology or coin operated trolleys will stop people from being lazy. And how many non trolley shop owners use these trolleys for their own shop use. Couriers use them. They are never going to just be for the store they belong to.
 
Invisible line trolley's !!! I've never heard of them.

It's definitely the customers fault , when you go to your car it's not that hard to return the trolley to the trolley bay.

If you have to walk home then invest in one of those shopping carts.

Customers if caught dumping trolley's should be fined.

The supermarkets supply us with these trolley's to help us so we should be doing the right thing.

I think the the person complaining isn't looking at the view of the supermarkets, does he think the supermarkets want to lose their trolleys
A hefty fine at that and a theft charge.
 
I agree something needs to be done not only with Woolies trolleys but Coles as well. These people are actually STEALING the trolleys as well as Littering which was at least some time ago an offense. Yesterday coming home along a highway approx 2 or maybe 3 km from our local shopping centre I saw a trolley along the walking path alongside the highway. This has caused the cost of recovering to be added to the cost of groceries.
 
The new Coles / Kmart shopping centre here in Kalgoorlie has the geo-locked shopping trolleys. You cannot leave the carpark area with them, or the wheels lock up. There have been a lot of complaints about this from people who park out in the street and in the public council owned carpark over the road - but there are no stray shopping carts around that part of town. Drive around other parts of town closer to Woolies though and you will see shopping carts in the gutters and on footpaths regularly. Can't say I've ever seen shopping carts from the two IGA stores which are closer to the outskirts of town lying around though.
 
When I managed an Officeworks store in WA many years ago, I would designate one or two staff members to trolley duty, 20 minutes before close of business they had to round up the trolleys bring them in store. and count them, any missing and they had to go scout around and try to locate them. Even with trying to be vigilant we still had trolleys go missing and it was a good week when we ended the week with the same number as we started with. It's an ongoing battle and the stores are doing their best, the fault is not with the stores but the customers.:)
 
You don't see an Aldi one's around who ever said that, you are right. I used to shop at Aldi all the time before I moved to FNQ where we don't have one.... HINT, ALDI....and we never saw stray trolleys anywhere, and I had to drive 30 k's to get there.
 
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You don't see an Aldi one's around who ever said that, you are right. I used to shop at Aldi all the time before I moved to FNQ where we don't have one.... HINT, ALDI....and we never saw stray trolleys anywhere, and I had to drive 30 k's to get there.
Nearest ALDI to Kalgoorlie is about 600km away, so we don't see any of their trolleys either.
 
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obviously the people of the Whitsundays thing they don’t have people that are unconsidered, despicable, uncaring of the beautiful waters of their area, therefore blame the supermarket what a lot of snobs. Get real, you have people that are trying to destroy your environment, deal with them not the supermarket.
 
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I remember not that long ago reading somewhere - and totally agreeing - that you can easily judge a person by their trolley manners/etiquette. Those who return trolleys to the proper bays are responsible decent people. Those who don't, aren't. Simple, isn't it? It is not Woolies responsibility to make people behave decently.
 
No ALDI at all in Tasmania we came from NSW and I do miss ALDI and big W for that matter
 
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On a number of occasions I have seen people pushing a trolley along the pathway away from the shops with one bag of shopping and a couple of children in the trolley - using as a pram more than a trolley - that is theft considering those trolleys on average cost about $500 each to provide so it just comes down to lazy people. The locking mechanism on trolleys when taken out of the shopping park area has been tried in our area but proved unsuccessful and was discontinued after the trial period.
 
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