---

Supermarkets: Trolleys

Answer

Defra do not hold any data from the last five years on the number of shopping trolleys or motor vehicles abandoned nor the amount spent by local authorities on seizing, storing and disposing of abandoned shopping trolleys.

Local authorities have powers under the Environmental Protection Act 1990 to seize, store and dispose of abandoned shopping and luggage trolleys. They can also recover costs from the owners of the trolleys.

Local authorities may agree schemes with local businesses to make sure they collect their trolleys. The local authority cannot claim any costs associated with removing, storing or disposing of trolleys if the trolley owners are part of such a scheme.

Defra has not made an assessment of the environmental impact of abandoned shopping trolleys.

The Refuse Disposal (Amenity) Act 1978 (RDAA) places a duty on councils to remove vehicles that are abandoned on any land in the open air, including private land, and council officers may legally enter land to investigate and remove abandoned vehicles.

Authorities do not have to remove an abandoned vehicle if the cost of moving it to the nearest highway is unreasonably high. It is for councils to determine whether any particular vehicle has been abandoned, and whether it is subject to their duty to remove it.

The Government has published guidance on councils’ powers for removing abandoned trolleys and responsibilities for removing abandoned vehicles, which is available at gov.uk at https://www.gov.uk/guidance/removing-abandoned-shopping-trolleys-council-powers and https://www.gov.uk/guidance/abandoned-vehicles-council-responsibilities

Secondary information

Type

Written question

Reference

43531

Session

2021-22

Grouped for answer

Yes

Transferred

Yes

Subjects

Litter Supermarkets Trolleys

Contains statistics

Yes

Link

View this Written question on www.parliament.uk