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Project example 2: Feral trolleys

A community education project initiated by the NSW Environment Protection Authority.

For more information, phone Helen Scott, EPA, on (02) 9995 5355.

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Step 1. Analyse the issue or problem

Shopping trolleys were polluting, blocking the water flow, and causing erosion of creeks in the Georges River catchment.

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Step 2. Identify stakeholders

Stakeholders were:

• Georges River CMC
• the nine local councils in the catchment that were responsible for collecting the trolleys
• the EPA
• supermarkets in the area
• the Retail Industry Association.

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Step 3. Know your target group

The target group comprised:

• shoppers
• school students
• retail industry.

Shoppers and school students were often leaving trolleys in streets and gutters. Neither shoppers nor retailers realised the impact that trolleys, and other things left in streets and gutters, were having on local waterways.

Step 4. Determine objectives and outcomes 

The objectives were to:

• increase the target group's understanding of the impact of shopping trolleys on creeks
• encourage supermarkets to take more responsibility for collecting shopping trolleys
• develop an appreciation of catchment management and of cooperation in reducing and preventing environmental problems.

 The outcomes were:

• relationship established with industry association
• school kit and 'Feral Trolleys' poster.

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Step 5. Design your methods

Methods involved:

• convening a steering committee with representation from key stakeholders
• identifying the four components of the program; establishing working groups with local government, industry, media and Department of School Education
• adopting the concept of 'Feral Trolleys'
• asking representatives from all local councils to support a moratorium on imposing a bond on supermarkets for collecting trolleys; to count the trolleys collected in a month; and to display their banner at the launch
• industry group convening two meetings with representatives from the major supermarket chains and the Retail Traders Association to:
  • organise for trolleys held by councils in the catchment to be collected on day of launch
  • ensure that money saved from the councils' moratorium was spent on posters, prizes  for the school competition, or the launch (the EPA and Georges River CMC funded the balance)
  • organise a mechanism for the community to contact the supermarket to have an 'escaped' trolley collected.
• producing and distributing Feral trolley spotting kit for schools' competition
• involving Totally Wild (Channel 10 TV) and inviting other media to the launch.

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Step 6. Consider funding

Funding support was obtained from the EPA.

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Step 7. Make an action plan and implement it

The plan was to:

• establish a steering committee and involve it in planning (Apr-May 95)
• establish working parties and hold meetings with stakeholders (Jun-Jul 95)
• produce school kit and posters (Jul-Aug 95)
• conduct a launch—involving the media, presentation of awards and student performances (Sept 95).

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Step 8. Monitor and evaluate

Councils and supermarkets monitored changes in numbers of trolleys left in the streets, also the number of related contacts from the community.

Supermarkets were monitored for the impact of an in-house statewide campaign.

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