Using Garbage Cans - Becoming a Bear Smart Community!

Today is garbage day in lower rossland. We ran out of garbage tags, so I did a quick zip to Ferraro's. Driving up Thompson and through lower Rossland, had me gawking in surprise.

I only saw four households with their garbage in a garbage can!!!!

I counted more than 30 bags of garbage laying on the street. MORE than 30!!!

Purchasing a garbage can and keeping your garbage in it, will help keep the bears away. Garbage bags laying on the street are susceptible to birds, dogs, and bears getting into it.

I saw at least 3 bags that were ripped open.

In a community that is currently in an uproar because bears were shot - this is unacceptable.

Here is a link to information on what it takes to become a "Bear Smart Community". https://wildsafebc.com/black-bear/ (scroll to the bottom)

I believe we are far from it, and simple things like not putting your household garbage into a can, is contributing to bear deaths in our town.

Super disappointing to see this today.

How about offering an easy solution!  I had to dig deep in the IGBC Certified Bear-Resistant Products List to find this product that you can order directly from Ontario.

Bear Safe trash cans:

http://www.bearsaver.com/p1208/BearSaver-Small-Grizzly-Poly-Cart-PC32-G/ 

You could get a volume discount and sell them at the Farmers Market!

A sticker for a large bag is for 28x36 which is about 20 gal, this is a 32 gallon container.

Please don't complain if this is too expensive, too heavy, too big, too small or what ever you think is wrong about this, offer a better solution instead!  Let's go in a positive direction with this.

That is a great idea RAS! :)

I wonder how to come up with the funds, to order enough to get a volume discount? Hmmmm.... time to get the thinking caps on!

Ok, sorry, I just saw that it is Ontario, California.  

Fixing the garbage problem should be the first priority since according to the WildSafe BC chart on calls during 2009-2013, Garbage accounts for 55% of calls regarding bears.  Fruit Trees would be 13% of calls and Pets only 9%. 

Maybe the credit unions could fund a loan like they do with ski passes.  Or, maybe this is in the initiative of the Columbia Basin Trust.  Maybe the city could offer a way to finance the cost over a couple of years for individuals to buy them.

 

 

 

I think its a great idea. I'm heading up to the market soon, Kathy Moore + Sharon Weider have a table set up to discuss the bear issue, and to promote this weekends picking event. I'll suggest it to them! (Although, I suspect they are already onto an idea like this.....)

I'm all for anything that will help the bear situation but I'm just wondering if putting your garbage in a can will keep a bear out? I actually use a container myself, mainly to cut down on raccoon/bird/dog garbage mauling but seeing as bears will break into cars and dumpsters to get at food, it seems to me it would take a pretty stout garbage container to keep them out.

We bought one of the bear saver cans on that website from the bear aware lady in rossland a few years ago as we have no garage and a small home with no room for a garbage can. She had a group order and got a discount for us. We have never had a bear successfully get in this bin... They are great. A bit pricey but worth every penny to keep the bears out. 

I would call bear aware and ask her if she will group order again. She usually has a table at the fall festival coming up in a few weeks at the arena.

We considered buying one of those cans a few years ago when the bear aware lady was at the market. She had one there for people to view. She talked about the group discount and we discussed how if we got people to pre order then brought the numbers to the city maybe they could subsidize in some way to encourage more people to get them. Maybe it's an idea worth floating again 

We considered buying one of those cans a few years ago when the bear aware lady was at the market. She had one there for people to view. She talked about the group discount and we discussed how if we got people to pre order then brought the numbers to the city maybe they could subsidize in some way to encourage more people to get them. Maybe it's an idea worth floating again 

Sharon here from WildSafeBC.  I am willing to put together a group order again. 

The bins cost around $175.00 CDN and can be ordered from Rollins Machinery in Vancouver.

Shipping is approx $75 per bin so if someone has a cheaper way to get them from Vancouver, the cost could be a lot less.

Any ideas?

I'd be interested, will there be a contact list anywhere to sign up if we do a group order?

I'd have expected that buying a bear safe bin is as easy as buying marshmallows here in BC. Turns out that it is more like buying a snow shovel in Africa. I really don't understand it.