The Australian landscape is a treasure trove of natural beauty, but a worrying trend has been tarnishing its charm.

Ian Thomson, a Cleaning Specialist from environmental advocacy group Ocean Crusaders, has been on a mission to halt the dumping of supermarket trolleys in our parks and waterways—a problem that's costing Aussie shoppers thousands of dollars annually.

However, the issue has been exacerbated by Woolworths' promise for 'a greener future' and their introduction of so-called environmentally friendly, recyclable trolleys.

Thomson and his Brisbane-based team say they retrieve an average of 300 trolleys annually from rivers and lakes across Brisbane, Sydney, and Melbourne.

While traditional metal trolleys can often be returned and reused, the plastic ones from Woolworths—purportedly made from 74 plastic milk bottles—often can't be.

Abandoned plastic trolleys are often found in rivers around Australia. Image source: Ocean Crusaders.

'Don't be fooled,' Ocean Crusaders wrote on their social media page.

'There are no certificates to prove their claims of 74 milk bottles in every trolley, but do the maths.'

The plastic trolleys are more prone to breakage, according to Thomson.

'They're really light, a lot lighter than the metal ones, and I've seen plenty of them broken,' Thomson added.

'They're also getting stuck together [after we recover them], which also damages them.'

'You didn't have that with the metal ones.'

Each trolley costs roughly $300 to replace, a cost that Thomson said is often passed onto consumers through their grocery bills.

He also claimed that most stores 'don't do much' to recover lost trolleys or at least broken parts.

Thomson explained that if a plastic trolley is damaged, Woolworths will simply 'undo the bolts and put a new crate on top of [the metal base] and then just throw the other trolley away'.

This, he claimed, is a cheaper method for the supermarket giant, but it's not environmentally friendly.

'If they are going to lose trolleys, they shouldn't be a disposable item, it's not really good for the environment.'

In a video posted on the Ocean Crusader's Facebook page, Thomson called out Woolworths over its 'claim to be pushing for a greener future.'

He showed a few dozen trolleys—both broken and intact—which his team recently retrieved from the Cornmeal Creek in Maroochydore.

Thomson was told by the manager at the local Woolies store that they're missing about 150 trolleys.

'That's $45,000 consumers are paying in their groceries at just one store,' he claimed.

Video source: Facebook / Ocean Crusaders.​

Thomson believes that a simple solution to the problem would be to introduce a token or coin system like what ALDI has in place, which would 'reduce the amount of trolleys in the environment'.

'They could make those tokens out of recycled plastic and even have their branding on it, but they won't because they're worried about backlash,' he said.

Woolworths previously said that their shopping trolleys are made of recycled plastic and are more environmentally friendly.

When asked about Thomson's claims, including why Woolworths switched to plastic trolleys and if they'd consider using tokens, the supermarket declined to answer directly.

However, a spokesperson did confirm that broken baskets returned to them are 'sent back to where the trolleys are manufactured, melted back down and then remoulded into a brand new trolley'.

Regarding trolley dumping in general, a Woolies spokesperson said that the 'vast majority [of people] do the right thing in returning them'.

'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,' a spokesperson said.

'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.'

It is understood that the supermarket giant is partnered with Trolley Tracker—a service that allows members of the public to report abandoned trolleys.

Key Takeaways

• Woolworths' recyclable shopping trolleys, introduced in 2020, have been criticised by a cleaning specialist for being disposable and potentially harmful to the environment.
• Ocean Crusaders, a cleaning team from Brisbane, regularly finds and retrieves dumped trolleys from waterways, stating that plastic trolleys cannot always be recycled like traditional metal ones.
• Ian Thomson of Ocean Crusaders claimed the cost of replacing lost or damaged trolleys is passed on to consumers through grocery prices, with each plastic trolley costing around $300 to replace.
• Woolworths asserted that collected broken trolleys are returned to the manufacturer to be melted down and remoulded, and highlighted its investment in collection services to mitigate the impact of abandoned trolleys in the community.

What are your thoughts on this issue, members? Have you noticed an increase in abandoned trolleys in your local area? Share your thoughts and stories in the comments below.

 

[Col@45]

The Australian landscape is a treasure trove of natural beauty, but a worrying trend has been tarnishing its charm.

Ian Thomson, a Cleaning Specialist from environmental advocacy group Ocean Crusaders, has been on a mission to halt the dumping of supermarket trolleys in our parks and waterways—a problem that's costing Aussie shoppers thousands of dollars annually.

However, the issue has been exacerbated by Woolworths' promise for 'a greener future' and their introduction of so-called environmentally friendly, recyclable trolleys.

Thomson and his Brisbane-based team say they retrieve an average of 300 trolleys annually from rivers and lakes across Brisbane, Sydney, and Melbourne.

While traditional metal trolleys can often be returned and reused, the plastic ones from Woolworths—purportedly made from 74 plastic milk bottles—often can't be.

View attachment 39869

Abandoned plastic trolleys are often found in rivers around Australia. Image source: Ocean Crusaders.

'Don't be fooled,' Ocean Crusaders wrote on their social media page.

'There are no certificates to prove their claims of 74 milk bottles in every trolley, but do the maths.'

The plastic trolleys are more prone to breakage, according to Thomson.

'They're really light, a lot lighter than the metal ones, and I've seen plenty of them broken,' Thomson added.

'They're also getting stuck together [after we recover them], which also damages them.'

'You didn't have that with the metal ones.'

Each trolley costs roughly $300 to replace, a cost that Thomson said is often passed onto consumers through their grocery bills.

He also claimed that most stores 'don't do much' to recover lost trolleys or at least broken parts.

Thomson explained that if a plastic trolley is damaged, Woolworths will simply 'undo the bolts and put a new crate on top of [the metal base] and then just throw the other trolley away'.

This, he claimed, is a cheaper method for the supermarket giant, but it's not environmentally friendly.

'If they are going to lose trolleys, they shouldn't be a disposable item, it's not really good for the environment.'

In a video posted on the Ocean Crusader's Facebook page, Thomson called out Woolworths over its 'claim to be pushing for a greener future.'

He showed a few dozen trolleys—both broken and intact—which his team recently retrieved from the Cornmeal Creek in Maroochydore.

Thomson was told by the manager at the local Woolies store that they're missing about 150 trolleys.

'That's $45,000 consumers are paying in their groceries at just one store,' he claimed.

Video source: Facebook / Ocean Crusaders.​

Thomson believes that a simple solution to the problem would be to introduce a token or coin system like what ALDI has in place, which would 'reduce the amount of trolleys in the environment'.

'They could make those tokens out of recycled plastic and even have their branding on it, but they won't because they're worried about backlash,' he said.

Woolworths previously said that their shopping trolleys are made of recycled plastic and are more environmentally friendly.

When asked about Thomson's claims, including why Woolworths switched to plastic trolleys and if they'd consider using tokens, the supermarket declined to answer directly.

However, a spokesperson did confirm that broken baskets returned to them are 'sent back to where the trolleys are manufactured, melted back down and then remoulded into a brand new trolley'.

Regarding trolley dumping in general, a Woolies spokesperson said that the 'vast majority [of people] do the right thing in returning them'.

'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,' a spokesperson said.

'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.'

It is understood that the supermarket giant is partnered with Trolley Tracker—a service that allows members of the public to report abandoned trolleys.

Key Takeaways

• Woolworths' recyclable shopping trolleys, introduced in 2020, have been criticised by a cleaning specialist for being disposable and potentially harmful to the environment.
• Ocean Crusaders, a cleaning team from Brisbane, regularly finds and retrieves dumped trolleys from waterways, stating that plastic trolleys cannot always be recycled like traditional metal ones.
• Ian Thomson of Ocean Crusaders claimed the cost of replacing lost or damaged trolleys is passed on to consumers through grocery prices, with each plastic trolley costing around $300 to replace.
• Woolworths asserted that collected broken trolleys are returned to the manufacturer to be melted down and remoulded, and highlighted its investment in collection services to mitigate the impact of abandoned trolleys in the community.

What are your thoughts on this issue, members? Have you noticed an increase in abandoned trolleys in your local area? Share your thoughts and stories in the comments below.

Never ceases to amaze me why Woolworths and Coles can't have the same system as Aldi and make people take their trolleys back....it's all down to laziness !!

 

[Pat T]

The Australian landscape is a treasure trove of natural beauty, but a worrying trend has been tarnishing its charm.

Ian Thomson, a Cleaning Specialist from environmental advocacy group Ocean Crusaders, has been on a mission to halt the dumping of supermarket trolleys in our parks and waterways—a problem that's costing Aussie shoppers thousands of dollars annually.

However, the issue has been exacerbated by Woolworths' promise for 'a greener future' and their introduction of so-called environmentally friendly, recyclable trolleys.

Thomson and his Brisbane-based team say they retrieve an average of 300 trolleys annually from rivers and lakes across Brisbane, Sydney, and Melbourne.

While traditional metal trolleys can often be returned and reused, the plastic ones from Woolworths—purportedly made from 74 plastic milk bottles—often can't be.

View attachment 39869

Abandoned plastic trolleys are often found in rivers around Australia. Image source: Ocean Crusaders.

'Don't be fooled,' Ocean Crusaders wrote on their social media page.

'There are no certificates to prove their claims of 74 milk bottles in every trolley, but do the maths.'

The plastic trolleys are more prone to breakage, according to Thomson.

'They're really light, a lot lighter than the metal ones, and I've seen plenty of them broken,' Thomson added.

'They're also getting stuck together [after we recover them], which also damages them.'

'You didn't have that with the metal ones.'

Each trolley costs roughly $300 to replace, a cost that Thomson said is often passed onto consumers through their grocery bills.

He also claimed that most stores 'don't do much' to recover lost trolleys or at least broken parts.

Thomson explained that if a plastic trolley is damaged, Woolworths will simply 'undo the bolts and put a new crate on top of [the metal base] and then just throw the other trolley away'.

This, he claimed, is a cheaper method for the supermarket giant, but it's not environmentally friendly.

'If they are going to lose trolleys, they shouldn't be a disposable item, it's not really good for the environment.'

In a video posted on the Ocean Crusader's Facebook page, Thomson called out Woolworths over its 'claim to be pushing for a greener future.'

He showed a few dozen trolleys—both broken and intact—which his team recently retrieved from the Cornmeal Creek in Maroochydore.

Thomson was told by the manager at the local Woolies store that they're missing about 150 trolleys.

'That's $45,000 consumers are paying in their groceries at just one store,' he claimed.

Video source: Facebook / Ocean Crusaders.​

Thomson believes that a simple solution to the problem would be to introduce a token or coin system like what ALDI has in place, which would 'reduce the amount of trolleys in the environment'.

'They could make those tokens out of recycled plastic and even have their branding on it, but they won't because they're worried about backlash,' he said.

Woolworths previously said that their shopping trolleys are made of recycled plastic and are more environmentally friendly.

When asked about Thomson's claims, including why Woolworths switched to plastic trolleys and if they'd consider using tokens, the supermarket declined to answer directly.

However, a spokesperson did confirm that broken baskets returned to them are 'sent back to where the trolleys are manufactured, melted back down and then remoulded into a brand new trolley'.

Regarding trolley dumping in general, a Woolies spokesperson said that the 'vast majority [of people] do the right thing in returning them'.

'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,' a spokesperson said.

'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.'

It is understood that the supermarket giant is partnered with Trolley Tracker—a service that allows members of the public to report abandoned trolleys.

Key Takeaways

• Woolworths' recyclable shopping trolleys, introduced in 2020, have been criticised by a cleaning specialist for being disposable and potentially harmful to the environment.
• Ocean Crusaders, a cleaning team from Brisbane, regularly finds and retrieves dumped trolleys from waterways, stating that plastic trolleys cannot always be recycled like traditional metal ones.
• Ian Thomson of Ocean Crusaders claimed the cost of replacing lost or damaged trolleys is passed on to consumers through grocery prices, with each plastic trolley costing around $300 to replace.
• Woolworths asserted that collected broken trolleys are returned to the manufacturer to be melted down and remoulded, and highlighted its investment in collection services to mitigate the impact of abandoned trolleys in the community.

What are your thoughts on this issue, members? Have you noticed an increase in abandoned trolleys in your local area? Share your thoughts and stories in the comments below.

In the ‘90s a Coles supermarket in Victoria had trollies that the wheels would lock up if they were went past the car park boundary. Dont know how it worked. Should bring that back in or council have some one go around picking them up then charge the supermarket for returning them . Supermarkets would soon do something then.

 

[AlanQ]

Firstly, it's not the supermarkets dumping them it's the ever increase entitled that seem to think someone else will collect them (a cost that is incurred by the retailers and passed on to the customer). There is a name and shame website/app Snap, Send, Solve. For those that want the supermarkets to action collection of trolleys that the entitled seem to happily take their shopping home in but just dump. Also allows you to enter various other issues to send to various govt & private authorities to action. As it's electronic it remains active until the responsible body finalise.

 

[AlanQ]

In the ‘90s a Coles supermarket in Victoria had trollies that the wheels would lock up if they were went past the car park boundary. Dont know how it worked. Should bring that back in or council have some one go around picking them up then charge the supermarket for returning them . Supermarkets would soon do something then.

They still have in certain supermarkets, generally where the lower socioeconomic 'customers' are potentially their customer base.

 

[siameezer]

Woolworths in my area DOES have trolleys where you pay either $1, or $2 or use one of their branded tokens (yes SDC they DO have them!) which you get back when you return the trolley. Some people are just too lazy to do that, so it is not Woolies' fault but those who don't return them.

 

[AlanQ]

Never ceases to amaze me why Woolworths and Coles can't have the same system as Aldi and make people take their trolleys back....it's all down to laziness !!

Agree, but still doesn't stop ppl from taking the trolleys and dumping outside the collection car parks. Auto locks (like those ppl seem to have issues with instore) should be the standard.

 

[Veggiepatch]

A few points about this article.

1. About 20 years ago, metal shopping trolleys cost the supermarkets approximately $375 each.​

​

2. Every Woolies, Coles, Aldi, Target, Big W, Kmart, IGA and other businesses in my area have had coin/token trolleys for nearly 10 years.​

​

3. I seen bunches of "cojoined" coin/token trolleys, sometimes over 10 at time, dumped in south eastern Melbourne, kilometres from the nearest supermarket.​

​

4. It is not the council's responsibility to collect dumped shopping trolleys.​

​

5. Hundreds of E bikes and scooters are fished out of the Melbourne's Yarra River and other waterways on an annual basis. They pose a far greater environmental problem due to leaking batteries.​

​

Just my two bob's worth....

 

[Annna]

Never ceases to amaze me why Woolworths and Coles can't have the same system as Aldi and make people take their trolleys back....it's all down to laziness !!

I remember that Woolworths stores in South Brisbane suburban stores did bring tokens in for trolleys about 10 years ago.

It lasted for about 6 months.

After that, the trolleys with chains still attached were stacked with the chains unlocked by the store staff.

I concluded that these stores experienced customer loss/ backlash and abandoned the initiative that would no doubt have cost a lot to introduce.

By the year's end, the chains and token mechanisms were gone from their trolleys.

I'd advocate for wheel locking systems if/when the trolley is wheeled 10 metres beyond the store (including carpark) boundaries.

 

[Annna]

In the ‘90s a Coles supermarket in Victoria had trollies that the wheels would lock up if they were went past the car park boundary. Dont know how it worked. Should bring that back in or council have some one go around picking them up then charge the supermarket for returning them . Supermarkets would soon do something then.

We have the collection in our area but sometimes collection trucks collect after a couple of days. In that time, the trolleys are used as garbage bins and some pushed into cars or against fences causing damage. Pedestrians, bikers and mobility scooter users also need to take care to avoid being hurt by them (sometimes there are 5 or 6 trolleys left on footpaths together).

The article also noted that the cost of collection is passed on to us the customers. I believe we're already paying a lot for food and household items without having collection costs added to our bills.

I'd prefer the wheel locking mechanisms. It would be a cost that we the customers would no doubt fund but would be a one off expense. Keeping the trolleys on supermarket properties would be a good solution for:

1. Residents who have to dodge abandoned trolleys;

2. Customers who have to pay collection costs; and

3. The environment in general with trolleys not ending up in waterways, parks and other secluded spaces.

 

[Annna]

Firstly, it's not the supermarkets dumping them it's the ever increase entitled that seem to think someone else will collect them (a cost that is incurred by the retailers and passed on to the customer). There is a name and shame website/app Snap, Send, Solve. For those that want the supermarkets to action collection of trolleys that the entitled seem to happily take their shopping home in but just dump. Also allows you to enter various other issues to send to various govt & private authorities to action. As it's electronic it remains active until the responsible body finalise.

Could you please provide the name of the website or app?

 

[Annna]

They still have in certain supermarkets, generally where the lower socioeconomic 'customers' are potentially their customer base.

They should have them everywhere.

 

[Veggiepatch]

Shopping trolleys make good laundry baskets....

 

[Annna]

Name and shame, sounds drastic but the situation of trolleys abandoned on paths and choking waterways is drastic.

Can someone provide details of the name and shame app or website Alan Q mentioned above please?

 

[Veggiepatch]

They still have in certain supermarkets, generally where the lower socioeconomic 'customers' are potentially their customer base.

Pains in the bum. Aldi and Coles are at opposite ends of the shopping centre I frequent, about 300 metres apart and sometimes the Coles trolley locks up about 200 metres from Coles.

 

[lonelyasacloud]

Woolworths in my area DOES have trolleys where you pay either $1, or $2 or use one of their branded tokens (yes SDC they DO have them!) which you get back when you return the trolley. Some people are just too lazy to do that, so it is not Woolies' fault but those who don't return them.

Our Woolies has them too

 

[Gillypeg]

Could you please provide the name of the website or app?

It's an app called "Snap/send/solve"

 

[SGH]

Never ceases to amaze me why Woolworths and Coles can't have the same system as Aldi and make people take their trolleys back....it's all down to laziness !!

Well they used to, I remember having the token on my keyring.

 

[Sandygwalk]

The Australian landscape is a treasure trove of natural beauty, but a worrying trend has been tarnishing its charm.

Ian Thomson, a Cleaning Specialist from environmental advocacy group Ocean Crusaders, has been on a mission to halt the dumping of supermarket trolleys in our parks and waterways—a problem that's costing Aussie shoppers thousands of dollars annually.

However, the issue has been exacerbated by Woolworths' promise for 'a greener future' and their introduction of so-called environmentally friendly, recyclable trolleys.

Thomson and his Brisbane-based team say they retrieve an average of 300 trolleys annually from rivers and lakes across Brisbane, Sydney, and Melbourne.

While traditional metal trolleys can often be returned and reused, the plastic ones from Woolworths—purportedly made from 74 plastic milk bottles—often can't be.

View attachment 39869

Abandoned plastic trolleys are often found in rivers around Australia. Image source: Ocean Crusaders.

'Don't be fooled,' Ocean Crusaders wrote on their social media page.

'There are no certificates to prove their claims of 74 milk bottles in every trolley, but do the maths.'

The plastic trolleys are more prone to breakage, according to Thomson.

'They're really light, a lot lighter than the metal ones, and I've seen plenty of them broken,' Thomson added.

'They're also getting stuck together [after we recover them], which also damages them.'

'You didn't have that with the metal ones.'

Each trolley costs roughly $300 to replace, a cost that Thomson said is often passed onto consumers through their grocery bills.

He also claimed that most stores 'don't do much' to recover lost trolleys or at least broken parts.

Thomson explained that if a plastic trolley is damaged, Woolworths will simply 'undo the bolts and put a new crate on top of [the metal base] and then just throw the other trolley away'.

This, he claimed, is a cheaper method for the supermarket giant, but it's not environmentally friendly.

'If they are going to lose trolleys, they shouldn't be a disposable item, it's not really good for the environment.'

In a video posted on the Ocean Crusader's Facebook page, Thomson called out Woolworths over its 'claim to be pushing for a greener future.'

He showed a few dozen trolleys—both broken and intact—which his team recently retrieved from the Cornmeal Creek in Maroochydore.

Thomson was told by the manager at the local Woolies store that they're missing about 150 trolleys.

'That's $45,000 consumers are paying in their groceries at just one store,' he claimed.

Video source: Facebook / Ocean Crusaders.​

Thomson believes that a simple solution to the problem would be to introduce a token or coin system like what ALDI has in place, which would 'reduce the amount of trolleys in the environment'.

'They could make those tokens out of recycled plastic and even have their branding on it, but they won't because they're worried about backlash,' he said.

Woolworths previously said that their shopping trolleys are made of recycled plastic and are more environmentally friendly.

When asked about Thomson's claims, including why Woolworths switched to plastic trolleys and if they'd consider using tokens, the supermarket declined to answer directly.

However, a spokesperson did confirm that broken baskets returned to them are 'sent back to where the trolleys are manufactured, melted back down and then remoulded into a brand new trolley'.

Regarding trolley dumping in general, a Woolies spokesperson said that the 'vast majority [of people] do the right thing in returning them'.

'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,' a spokesperson said.

'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.'

It is understood that the supermarket giant is partnered with Trolley Tracker—a service that allows members of the public to report abandoned trolleys.

Key Takeaways

• Woolworths' recyclable shopping trolleys, introduced in 2020, have been criticised by a cleaning specialist for being disposable and potentially harmful to the environment.
• Ocean Crusaders, a cleaning team from Brisbane, regularly finds and retrieves dumped trolleys from waterways, stating that plastic trolleys cannot always be recycled like traditional metal ones.
• Ian Thomson of Ocean Crusaders claimed the cost of replacing lost or damaged trolleys is passed on to consumers through grocery prices, with each plastic trolley costing around $300 to replace.
• Woolworths asserted that collected broken trolleys are returned to the manufacturer to be melted down and remoulded, and highlighted its investment in collection services to mitigate the impact of abandoned trolleys in the community.

What are your thoughts on this issue, members? Have you noticed an increase in abandoned trolleys in your local area? Share your thoughts and stories in the comments below.

Yes I have and I have also seen alot of new Australians from Arab areas walking the trolleys down local streets and then seeing the trolleys left on the verge. I wonder if they know it is an offence to remove a trolley from the shopping centre car park.

 

[Annna]

Pains in the bum. Aldi and Coles are at opposite ends of the shopping centre I frequent, about 300 metres apart and sometimes the Coles trolley locks up about 200 metres from Coles.

In our centre, the lock activates in the carpark.