Shoal Creek Conservancy’s Shoal Creek Shopping Cart Corral Returns for 4th year
August 17, 2026 | By Shoal Creek Conservancy
AUSTIN, Texas – Shoal Creek Conservancy (SCC), the environmental nonprofit championing Shoal Creek and its surrounding urban watershed, is hosting the 2026 Shoal Creek Shopping Cart Corral on August 29th. The event is presented by H-E-B and held in partnership with two City of Austin departments: Austin Watershed Protection (WPD) and Austin Resource Recovery (ARR).
This effort is inspired by the WPD field study conducted in fall 2022, Trash in Creeks, which identified the quantity and types of litter found in Austin’s waterways. One stark outcome was over 500 shopping carts found throughout Austin’s creeks. During last year’s Shopping Cart Corral, more than 80 volunteers and staff from WPD and ARR spread out over six locations along Shoal Creek, and in just two hours collectively removed 9 shopping carts, 170 bags of litter, and lots of large bulky items like 5 mattresses, 7 wooden pallets, rugs, tarps, a stroller, a full-size basketball goal, and so much more! These efforts removed a staggering 5,000 pounds of litter from Shoal Creek!
ARR keeps material recovered from creeks out of the landfill whenever possible. For example, shopping carts that cannot be returned to retailers are recycled through a third-party contractor that strips off plastics and rubber wheels, then melts down the metal to form new steel products. Old tires are shredded and turned into playground and recreational surfaces or repurposed for community projects.
“The Shopping Cart Corral extends beyond removing litter and carts from Shoal Creek,” Ivey Kaiser, SCC’s Executive Director, said. “It’s also been an opportunity for our team to encourage local store managers and retailers to make store-level changes that can prevent shopping carts from wandering off and becoming litter.” Referencing the August 29th event, Kaiser added, “This event offers volunteers, sponsors and local retailers a unique opportunity to have positive short-term and long-term impacts on Shoal Creek’s water quality.”
On August 29th, from 8 to 10 a.m., SCC, WPD, ARR, and volunteers will convene at several locations across the watershed to remove hard-to-reach shopping carts from the creek. Sign up to volunteer at www.shoalcreekevent.com.
For more information or to get involved with SCC, visit www.shoalcreekconservancy.org or email info@shoalcreekconservancy.org.
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About Shoal Creek Conservancy
Shoal Creek Conservancy is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization that champions the 13-square-mile Shoal Creek watershed and the creek and trail running through it. The Conservancy engages in thoughtful public-private partnerships, leads fun and meaningful educational programming, and spearheads on-the-ground improvements that make Shoal Creek and the Shoal Creek Trail safer, more accessible, and more inspiring places to be. Learn more at www.shoalcreekconservancy.org
About Austin Watershed Protection
Austin Watershed Protection protects lives, property, and the environment of our community by reducing the impact of flooding, erosion, and water pollution. Visit AustinTexas.gov/Watershed to learn more.
About Austin Resource Recovery
Austin Resource Recovery (ARR) is a department of the City of Austin. We provide essential services that protect people and our planet. We collect recycling, composting, trash, large brush, bulk items, household hazardous waste and dead animals. We also sweep the streets, offer Austin and Travis County residents a service to recycle and safely dispose of household hazardous waste and provide community outreach and education. ARR is driving the global transformation of traditional waste management to sustainable resource recovery. Learn more at austinrecycles.com.
Media Contacts
Maria Darr
Shoal Creek Conservancy, Programs Director
512-920-0516
maria@shoalcreekconservancy.org
Watershed Protection Department Media Line
512-974-1450
WPDMedia@austintexas.gov
Austin Resource Recovery Media Contact
512-974-1800
