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. The council will notify the owner of that trolley that it has been abandoned
• 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 appropriate 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

The current charge for removal, storage, disposal or return of a shopping trolley is £33 per trolley. This charge will be reviewed annually in line with inflation.