The exponential increase in the number of shopping trolleys dumped in Australian streets is a disgrace. They litter the streets and can cause panel damage to parked cars. They are dumped in waterways, on roadsides and nature strips. They make our towns and suburbs look untidy and unloved.In addition to being eyesores, especially when dumped in enviro-sensitive areas such as alongside streams or in nearby recreational bushland spaces, these trolleys are a hazard to pedestrians and traffic and cost retailers millions of dollars a year to replace, repair or return to the store.

Introducing Trolley Trackers and 1800 Trolley isn't enough, because these methods rely on the public to contact Coles or Woolworths. Shifting the onus of responsibility to retailers seems to be the course of action most likely to yield a result. If Coles and woolworths introduced coin-operated trolleys – like Aldi for example – the trolley plague would be stopped in its tracks. No one likes parting with money if they don’t have to.

I never see Aldi trolleys dumped in my suburb; whereas there are dozens belonging to Coles and Woolworths.

Coin operated trolleys are an effective system because there is an incentive for customers to return the trolley to the store in order to get their $1 or $2 coin back.

Plenty of councils around Australia have explored ways to tackle this problem of trolleys being left in public places, but it's up to Coles and Woolworths to take responsibility for providing the solution to a problem of their making. I encourage these retailers to introduce coin-operated trolleys in all of their stores and remove those that are not coin-operated.