Whether you’re a customer or a retail business owner, you may have wondered from time to time what exactly happens to those old, worn-down shopping carts and baskets when they’ve been replaced. 

This is merely a matter of curiosity for a customer, but if you own a grocery or retail store, it’s good to know something about the fate of your obsolete shopping vessels. This knowledge can help you make a more informed decision when the time comes to replace your existing fleet with some new assets. And, as it turns out, the journey of an old shopping cart or basket can be quite interesting. So, here are some of the things that might happen to your old shopping carts and baskets when you replace them.

Where Do Your Carts Go After Replacement?

Sold to Other Companies or Stores

Just because your carts are past their prime doesn’t mean they’re useless. Indeed, plenty of smaller businesses and stores are actively looking for an inexpensive stock of carts and baskets. 

Of course, if your carts are severely damaged or dangerous to operate, you don’t want to pawn them off on anyone. Not only is this unethical, but it could also damage your reputation and theirs. Besides, most stores won’t purchase carts or baskets that are beyond their usefulness anyway. 

Still, if your fleet is merely outdated and you’re trying to make some room for new items, selling your carts and baskets is one of the more lucrative options for getting rid of them. If you go this route, remember that your logo should be removed or painted over if it’s present on any of your old carts or baskets.

Transferred/Sold to Stores Within the Company

Who says you have to sell your old but usable carts and baskets to a competitor? Multi-location retail or grocery brands can often benefit from passing certain assets around to different locations as needed. For instance, a smaller location with lower margins might not need to invest in new carts or baskets, but if they need some additional stock they might have some use for another location’s old supply. 

In fact, a brand might store all or most of their old shopping baskets and carts in the event that any location needs more than they currently have. It’s not a bad idea to hold onto some old stock for the long term, then, even if you don’t get the immediate financial gain you would by selling them.

Sold for Parts and Scraps

Some companies might not have the resources to store several outdated carts or baskets. Additionally, some of these items might be so worn down that they can’t or shouldn’t be sold as they are, whether to another business or a store within the company. 

That said, the materials that make up a cart or basket aren’t without their value. If you still want to make some money back off your old stock, you could sell it for scraps. There are plenty of companies that will purchase metal, plastic, and other materials for any number of reasons. This might be the best option for you if you don’t want to merely toss your old carts and baskets in the trash.

Chucked in a Landfill

Unfortunately, a large number of replaced carts and baskets wind up in a landfill. Some businesses might go this route if they don’t know what else can be done with them. City and town governments may also send abandoned carts and baskets to the dump in an effort to clean up the streets. This isn’t just a blight on the environment, but also a waste of materials.

Recycled or Refurbished

Landfills aren’t the only place unwanted baskets and carts can go, however. A more environmentally-friendly and pragmatic option is to have these items recycled. Manufacturers like Good L Corp. specifically use recycled materials to make new shopping baskets. Our big, tall, large, standard, and mini baskets are manufactured using 100% recycled material, and they’re American-made. When you purchase from manufacturers focused on recycling, you can rest assured that fewer carts and baskets end up in garbage dumps.

Repurposed in a Number of Ways

Creative individuals and businesses may seek old and unwanted carts and baskets to re-purpose in a number of ways. Artists who work with metal and plastic can find plenty of value in even a single cart or basket. They may find ways to bend and rework the material into a sculpture or build around the existing structure in unique ways. Other industrious types might make furniture out of an old cart. The possibilities are endless, really. Repurposing materials is a fun and powerful way to liven up a community, so it may be worthwhile to see who would be interested in taking a cart or two off your hands.

If you own a retail or grocery store and it’s time to invest in new shopping carts and baskets, you have plenty of control over what happens to your old stock. Sending them to a landfill might be the easiest option, but it’s also the most wasteful one. Why do that when you could sell your carts and their parts, or recycle them? 

Just because something is obsolete doesn’t mean it’s without value. So, play an active role in the fate of your carts and baskets when replacing them. It’s better for business and your community. And, when looking for a cart and basket manufacturer, go with one that uses recycled materials in all their products.

Good L Corporation delivers innovative shopping cart and basket solutions for retailers on a global scale. From a stack of custom shopping baskets or a fleet of custom shopping carts to replacements that supplement your existing shop supply, Good L Corp. can configure the right carryall strategy to boost your retail business. Let’s get started! Contact us today for a no-pressure sales quote.