Bears Are Back, Take Responsibility for your Trash

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE: From the Regional District of Central Okanagan

May 7, 2020

The Regional Waste Reduction Office is sending out the spring reminder to do your part in keeping neighbourhoods safe by managing all things that attract wildlife around your home, including your household garbage.

Conservation Officers confirm bears have already been spotted in several neighbourhoods from Peachland to West Kelowna and beyond. Waste Reduction Facilitator Rae Stewart says that means it’s time to be extra vigilant. “This is the time of year bears come out of hibernation, hungry, and looking for food.  The best advice if you live in an area susceptible to wildlife is to reduce your risk of conflict and take responsibility for your trash.”

Stewart reminds residents to store waste and recycling carts inside a shed or garage and put carts out only on the morning of pickup, not the night before. “Bears in particular, but other animals as well, have a keen sense of smell. The idea is not to attract them to your garbage unnecessarily.  If they find your waste, they can make a real mess, but also become food conditioned. Then they can pose a risk to you and your family, your neighbours, and themselves. And that’s totally preventable.”

Stewart says the Regional Waste Reduction Office in conjunction with their waste contractor E360s will be continuing with the next phase of a pilot project of fully automated bear resistant garbage carts in select neighbourhoods. “There have been some design issues with these new model carts, so testing on the upgraded versions will continue this spring. Dependent on the results of the pilot and how those carts stand up to bear activity, there may be new bear resistant cart options for residents later this year. Something to keep in mind though, the manufacturer stresses these automated bear carts are still only bear resistant, not 100 per cent bear proof, so managing your attractants carefully is still critical.”

Wildsafe BC has tips you can follow to keep wildlife wild and help prevent conflict:

• Only put garbage out for collection on the morning of pickup, not the night before
• Encourage neighbours to do the same, offer to help if they are not able to put garbage out at appropriate times
• Secure your garbage on non- collection days- store it securely in your home or in a garage or shed
• Consider freezing your kitchen scraps until the morning of collection day
• Keep your barbeque clean and covered
• Pick ripe or fallen fruit immediately; if composting, or putting in yard waste cart, ensure they are secured from wildlife access
• use birdbaths to attract birds, rather than bird feeders

Please report human-bear conflicts to the BC Conservation Officer Service at 1.877.952.7277

For more information on deterring bears from your garbage, visit the WildsafeBC website: https://wildsafebc.com/about/.   

For additional inquiries, visit rdco.com/recycle, email recycle@rdco.com or call the Regional Waste Reduction Office at 250.469.6250.