Logan City Council has encouraged local retailers to consider a cashless shopping trolley containment system as an alternative to a coin or token operated system.
From July 2010, most retailers in Logan City will be required to implement a containment mechanism on their trolleys, to prevent them being removed from the shopping premises.
Animals and City Standards Committee Chairman, Councillor Graham Able (Divisioin 5) said a number of local retailers had already installed coin-lock containment systems, but other options were available.
"We recently investigated an electronic system that prevents the removal of shopping trolleys by activating a lock on the wheel when the trolley is taken outside a designated perimeter," he said.
"The advantages of this particular system are that it requires no coins from customers and makes it more difficult to physically remove trolleys from shopping complexes."
"Feral" shopping trolleys have been a longstanding problem in Logan City. A total of 660 shopping trolleys were identified as "unattended in a public place" by Logan City Council between 1 July, 2008 and 31 March, 2009.
The electronic containment system incorporates a transmitter that generates a low frequency, low power signal to define the limit of trolley travel. The trolley is free for customer use within the designated perimeter, however if the trolley is taken beyond the perimeter its wheels will lock.
A set of controllers are provided to retailers to enable store personnel to unlock trolleys as required.
The antenna signal emits to a height of between 1-2 metres off the ground so even by lifting the trolley, the electronic caster operates, rendering the trolley immobile.
Cr Able said the system had over 3000 installations world-wide and had become the preferred solution for 15 of the world's top 20 retailers.
"It has led to shopping trolley retention levels of up to 98%, and has reduced the number of abandoned trolleys found in local waterways, creeks and open spaces," he said.
"Council's research into this system has found it to be very efficient in curbing the number of abandoned trolleys and also very customer-friendly."
Containment systems will be implemented in Logan in July, 2010.