Stash, Latch, Secure Your Trash

Published on May 01, 2026

It’s garbage to us; it’s dinner for days for bears. Trash is a smelly, concentrated and dependable source of easy, high-calorie meals. That’s why trash attracts bears to homes and communities and keeps them coming back for more. 

Trash Storage Solutions That Work

Open doors are an open invitation to bears. Keep trash out of sight, smell and reach. Always close and lock doors and windows.

When building your own or buying a trash enclosure, choose durable construction and multiple latches or an auto-locking mechanism.

Request a bear-resistant container from Environmental Services:

Bear-Resistant Container Request Form

Power Up to Protect

A determined bear can easily claw through a wooden door. In areas where bears have learned to rely on human-provided food sources, steel doors or electric mats are recommended. Electric unwelcome mats in front of doors and below windows will safely deter bears. An electric fence makes a great enclosure for regular trash cans.

Just one encounter with an electric fence or unwelcome mat delivers a shocking lesson that quickly teaches the bear to leave your stuff alone. Getting zapped may hurt but doesn’t harm. Properly installed electric deterrents are safe for people, pets and bears.

Tips and Best Practices at Home and In Town

Homeowners

• Always close and latch bear-resistant trash containers (BRCs). Keep containers that are not bear-resistant in a sturdy, locked building or bear-resistant enclosure.
• Put garbage (including any frozen food scraps) and recycling out the morning of pick up, not the night before.
• Never leave trash or food / animal feed in a vehicle or open truck bed. Clean truck beds often.
• Never store trash on or under decks, porches or balconies. Screens don’t keep out bears.
• Rinse out cans, bottles and other recycling to reduce odors.
• Clean trash containers often. Avoid fruit-scented cleaners.

Businesses

• Use bear-resistant containers / dumpsters / enclosures. Post clear instructions to lock after every use, even during the day.
• Post signage in common areas and parking lots to ‘Stash & Latch Your Trash’ and to lock vehicles.
• Educate residents, renters and visitors. Share BearWise materials.
• Train employees to recognize what attracts bears, to be vigilant and address issues immediately (i.e. pick up stray trash, verify containers are latched, patrol parking lots).
• Post signs and inform workers to never put food scraps or trash in open construction dumpsters.
• Clearly state trash policies, pick-up times and management’s contact information. Ask people to report issues immediately.

Easy-to-access trash is the number one thing that attracts bears to homes and communities. Enterprising bears have learned to recognize trash containers and deduce that where there is one, there are more. Trash smells like dinner to a bear, so anything you can do to reduce odors and make trash hard to get at will help deter bears.

Other helpful tactics...

Motion-Activated Devices

Motion-activated sprinklers and/or alarms may startle bears but are not permanent solutions. Use them while you pick the long-term solution that works best for you.

Composting Food Scraps?

If you live in active bear country, consider an indoor composter (available in various sizes).

If composting outside: no meat, bones, fish, oil, grease, dairy products, eggshells, garbage or large amounts of fruit. Locate compost pile far away from your home and protect it with a bear-resistant enclosure or electric fence.