The alarming amount of abandoned shopping trolleys left scattered across a neighbourhood in South Bristol has prompted calls for action. Trolleys can be seen in Hartcliffe along the side of the road, outside houses and flats, in parks and in rivers, and getting pushed home full of groceries.
Many people from the area don’t own a car and there are few shops, so some struggle to carry their weekly groceries back home without using a trolley. Sometimes trolleys left on the street will then be used for fly-tipping, and filled up with rubbish.
Young people from Hartcliffe previously said abandoned shopping trolleys were a “massive problem”. Bristol City Council was urged to find a solution during a meeting of the member forum on March 11.
Labour Councillor Kirsty Tait, representing Hartcliffe and Withywood, asked the council to commit to working with local supermarkets and the community on finding solutions to the problem. She suggested installing several “trolley parks”, where people could return trolleys which would then be collected by supermarkets.
In a written question, she said: “Hartcliffe and Withywood are areas of socio-economic disadvantage with low car ownership, making it difficult for many residents to access supermarkets. As a result, people often take trolleys home out of necessity, as they have no other means of transporting their shopping.
“However, without designated return points, these trolleys are frequently abandoned, contributing to litter and pollution in local green spaces and waterways. This issue is exacerbated by the area being a food desert, where limited access to affordable, healthy food further impacts residents.”
Trolley parks could be installed next to council housing, according to a written response. The council could consult residents and work with local supermarkets, which would have to pay for and manage the collection.
Trolley parks would be locked to prevent fly-tipping, with keys given to residents. Children from Hartcliffe also called for trolley parks, in a short film made in 2023 by local charity Heart of BS13 about the pervasive problem.
In the film, Lexi said: “We have a massive problem with dumped supermarket trolleys. They are everywhere, like in hedges, outside of people’s houses, in parks and in streams. We need people from the supermarkets, the council and people who make decisions to get involved.”
Abandoned trolleys can be reported via an app called Trolleywise. This lets local supermarkets know of their location, but doesn’t guarantee they will be collected soon after the report.
Green council leader Tony Dyer, who grew up in Hartcliffe, said: “I’m happy to watch the film and happy to get involved with individuals from BS13, which as you know is somewhere that’s close to my heart.”
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