Abandoned shopping carts a growing problem

A 30-day survey that I have just completed shows 50 Walmart shopping carts have traveled down Potts Drive to Bright Hope Community. Currently, the 50 carts are being stored on Ryan Street behind the Bright Hope Community office. My survey indicates 600 shopping carts from Walmart travel to Bright Hope through the Pottsgrove Manor Development annually. Unfortunately, some shopping carts are dropped off in our neighborhood, Pottstgrove Manor, and never make it to Bright Hope. The carts that are strewn all over the neighborhood end up being picked up by the Pottstown Codes Department. The Borough of Pottstown should not have to pick the carts up. Walmart needs to take responsibility and pick up their carts.

I offer a comprehensive solution to the problem. First, a sign should be put up on Potts Drive saying “No Shopping Carts beyond this point. Violators will be prosecuted.” Most of the Bright Hope residents are not aware that the carts should not be taken home. They do not realize that the carts are considered stolen. Walmart could offer the residents who live on the West End a free grocery/laundry cart to help solve the problem. Conveniently, Walmart does not stock the grocery/ laundry carts for sale any longer. Many people on the West End already use them.

Any Walmart shopping carts left in our neighborhood should be retrieved by Walmart instead of the codes department. A tollfree number could be provided by Walmart for cart retrieval. The shopping cart problem gets worse every year. Let’s do something.