City of Newcastle / Waste Management - Wildlife-resistant carts
Wildlife cart Offerings
WM offers carts designed to resist bears and other wildlife, but none are "bear-proof." As we all know, there is no true bear proof curbside garbage collection cart on the market. All carts, even IGBC certified ones, are only bear-resistant so practicing bear safety tips is key!
WM offers bear-resistant carts in 64 and 96-gallon carts. Because the carts require manual servicing there is an extra monthly service fee.
We purchase IGBC-certified carts to fulfill our bear cart inventory need. Please click here to see a video on one of the carts we provide Newcastle residents.
The Interagency Grizzly Bear Committee (IGBC), is a committee formed in 1983 to help ensure recovery of viable grizzly bear populations and their habitat in the lower 48 states through interagency coordination of policy, planning, management, and research. They certify/test/recommend products as bear-resistant.
Bear Safety Tips
We always recommend that residents put carts out on the morning of service by 6 am, not the night before, and store it inside so that animals cannot get to it. Removing temptation is still the best way to keep bears and other critters away from your home, family and neighbors.
Having a bear resistant container is not on its own an effective way to prevent bears and other wildlife from getting into your cart. They are, after all, coming after the food scraps and food-soiled paper you throw away. Below are some bear smart tips that the state recommends you follow, whether you have standard carts or wildlife-resistant carts.
- Set out your carts on the day of pick up by 6 am, do not set them out the night before.
- Store your carts in a sturdy shed or your garage until your collection day. Store empty carts inside as well.
- Keep fresh meat, fish, and other smelly scraps out of your trash or compost cart until your collection day. Wrap them up and store them in the refrigerator or freezer until you put your carts out for collection.
- Double bag materials to keep down odors.
- Control your cart's odor by spraying it with disinfectant when necessary.
- More extensive information on living with black bears and preventing conflicts is available online at wdfw.wa.gov/living/bears.html.
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