City of Asheville Rolls Out Bear-Resistant Trash Carts
Urban Bears prowling for a trashcan meal may have to resort to berries in some sections of Asheville.
The bear-resistant trash carts have a locking feature that allows the lid to open only when it is lifted and turned over by the motion made by the arm of the sanitation truck.
Following the successful rollout of Asheville Sanitation’s bear-resistant trash cart pilot program in January with 340 initial carts, another 300 are now being delivered to residents on the waiting list. A resolution approved by Asheville City Council in November 2020 amended the city’s schedule of fees and charges to allow the Sanitation Division to provide bear-resistant trash carts for a $10-a-month fee on a first-come, first-served basis. Residents who sign up for the carts agree to a one-year rental commitment.
“More than a third of the calls that the NC Wildlife Resources receives about bears statewide come from Buncombe County,” said City Sanitation Manager Jes Foster. “Asheville residents are experiencing an increase in human-bear interactions and there are safety risks associated with these increasing issues.”
Securing garbage is identified as one of the top ways to reduce human-bear interactions and resulting problems. Eliminating an accessible food source usually causes a bear to move on, and city residents have frequently requested bear-resistant trash carts to accomplish that goal.
The new, bear-resistant trash carts are 95 gallons (like traditional large green trash carts) and weigh 45 pounds (10 pounds heavier than regular trash carts). They are for trash only, not recyclables or yard waste.
If you would like to be on the waiting list for a bear-resistant car, visit ashevillenc.gov/bearcart to sign up. You may also call the Sanitation office at 828-259-5857 to be added to the waiting list.
