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Park Street resident hopes shoppers will do their part, return the cart

Part of the problem seems to be that some grocery stores have removed the 25-cent deposit on carts in an effort to reduce potential COVID transmission

If you’re seeing more shopping carts on your street than you normally would, it may be linked to COVID-19 safety measures. 

Some grocery stores have done away with the 25-cent deposit as a way to reduce the transfer of germs and contact.

Matthew Knapp lives on Park Street, just a few blocks from the Wellington Street No Frills. Knapp says he sometimes sees five carts a week in his area, either on the grass, abandoned on sidewalks or left in nearby Queen’s Park.

“We understand our proximity to the Wellington Street Plaza and the need for businesses such as No Frills to remove the quarter payment method during COVID19, but unfortunately it is the community who has had to deal with the ramifications of collecting these grocery carts and removing them from the parks and off the roads,” Knapp told BarrieToday.  

Knapp and his partner purchased their home in December 2019 and have done major exterior renovations to it. While he admits it may not seem like a big deal to some, he's worried it will cast a negative shadow on the neighbourhood for those looking to sell their homes.

“This is our first home and we were attracted to the neighbourhood because of its mature greenery, proximity to the waterfront, walking spaces and colourful residence,” Knapp said. “We did not know how prevalent grocery carts emerged on our streets, parks and even front lawn.”

No Frills manager Christian Martin-Hastings told BarrieToday that the grocery store stopped taking coin deposits on their carts in March as a way to keep people shopping safely.

Martin-Hastings agrees that it can be a pain for residents in the area when the courtesy isn’t honoured. 

“It also takes away labour from the store. We really would hope folks would bring them back and don’t leave them on people’s streets,” said Martin-Hastings. “We have to send someone out to drive around and pick them up. They throw them on the back of a truck and bring them in, but that is a real hassle compared to just returning them to the right spot.”

Coun. Keenan Aylwin said he spoke to one of the store managers at the grocery store and they advised that the best way to get the carts retrieved in a timely manner is to call the store directly. 

“I understand it's a difficult situation for the stores, because they are doing their best to keep their customers safe from COVID-19 and that's why they still have not reinstated the 25-cent deposit,” Aylwin told BarrieToday. “I would hope that residents would be courteous and return the carts to their proper place after use.”

Knapp said they were collecting the carts, but had to eventually reach out to the store and asked them to enforce grocery cart returns in a different manner, either hiring security or installing sensors that lock the wheels once taken off the property. 

“We are usually directed to customer service (and a representative) searches for a phone number for their collection crew," he said. "Then it takes weeks for them to collect the carts. That places the onus on communities to bring back the carts, which should not be the case."