MEMBERS of the Droitwich Spa Litter Squad have appealed for people not to vandalise shopping trolleys and dump them in the River Salwarpe.
The group – which has been carrying out its regular litter picks in the town – has noticed the problem is on the rise.
Members have already removed around ten from the brook and, after being informed more have been dumped there, will return this weekend for another clean-up.
Clive Shearman, who launched the litter squad, said: “These take quite a bit of effort to remove and we want to highlight the issue – not only to the perpetrators but also to the stores to secure them when they close their shops.
“These trolleys are expensive as when we looked online, we found they cost about £150 apiece.
“Using just simple maths, it works out at the equivalent of £1,500 going to landfill and with those dumped since we visited, it will be close to £2,000.
“It’s a criminal waste of money.”
He has also called for more bins to be put on the A38, he said, in the areas where there were some, it was visibly much cleaner.
Last weekend the group collected another 30 bags, along with a mattress.
“We are happy to pick as Droitwich looks tidier but the authorities are so slow in delivering assistance in the form of infrastructure.”
A Wychavon District Council spokesperson said: “We appreciate the efforts of Droitwich Spa Litter Squad and the 700 other volunteers who are part of our Adopt a Street scheme.
“We support them by providing free kit and a way of disposing the litter they collect.
“We are also installing signage, working on behaviour change campaigns and looking at bin infrastructure.
“This is on top of around £1.5million-a-year we spend on street cleaning – as part of this we installed bins in certain laybys across the district as a trial.
“We are reviewing the results and hope to roll-out bins to more laybys as soon as resources allow.”
A source from Aldi said the situation with its trolleys should be temporary as the store was in a transition period, changing the current trolleys to a different locking mechanism model.
Customers have to use a pound coin or token to use Aldi’s trolleys and it has been mooted that if the old trolley mechanisms do not fit in the new one the trolleys may be taken away.
The Standard contacted B&M Bargains and Home Bargains and is awaiting comment.
