Abandoned shopping trolleys

The Environmental Protection Act 1990 Section 99 and Schedule 4 provides the legal parameters around abandoned shopping trolleys.

Local authorities can under EPA 1990 resolve to apply schedule 4 in its area. This gives provision to:

• seize and remove abandoned trolleys
• store abandoned trolleys for a period of six weeks
• serve notice on anyone who appears to be the owner, within 14 days of removal, informing them it will be disposed of if it is not claimed
• sell or dispose of abandoned trolley after the six week period has ended
• charge the retailer who appears to be the owner to an amount that covers the cost of removal, storage and disposal

North Ayrshire Council follows the process where:

• we allow the supermarkets' contractor to collect trolleys until 11am each day and return them to store - if they have not been collected by 11am the trolley will be removed by the council and taken to its storage facility
• the council will tag the abandoned trolley identifying the time, date, and location of where the trolley was retrieved, and notify the owner
• the council will tell the trolley owner in writing of the removal of the trolley and its location within 14 days of having seized it
• the trolley owner should, upon payment of agreed fees, collect the trolley within six weeks of it being seized
• if after six weeks the owner has not paid the fees and collected the trolley, the council can dispose of the trolley as they see fit - they will charge the trolley owner for the storage and cost of disposal

Charge for removal, storage, disposal, or return is £33 per trolley. This charge will be reviewed annually in line with inflation.