Starting A Business In Bear Country? It's Time For A Brief On Dealing With Commercial Trash
Posted on: 19 November 2015
Are you starting a business in a rural location? If so, hashing out the details of your new shop's trash containment and removal process probably isn't at the top of your priority list. But if your new business will be located in an area known for bear activity, the way you handle your commercial garbage is about to become a whole lot more important than ever before.
What's So Bad About A Bear Getting Into Your Dumpster?
The very first time a bear gets into your dumpster and gains access to something that they consider edible, your business, yourself, your customers, and the bear population as a whole are put at risk. You'll undoubtedly sustain some property damage as the beast paws and claws around your facility looking for their next treat. And with hungry bears hanging around, there's always a risk of somebody getting attacked.
As for the bears, studies show that once they begin frequenting a business to raid the dumpster, they lose their fear of humans. Bears that don't fear humans have a consistently shorter lifespan than those that keep to the wild. Dumpster-diving bears can also teach their bear-friends how to score a quick snack by visiting a local business, thus worsening the problems faced by both you as a business owner, and the entire population of bears.
Here are some tips for keeping bears out of your commercial dumpster.
Bear Proof Trash Containers Are A Must
There are a number of dumpsters and garbage cans on the market that promise to keep bears out of your commercial trash, but few of them are actually tested for product performance. To be absolutely sure that your commercial dumpster will resist the strength of a bear, it's got to be certified by the Interagency Grizzly Bear Committee. This organization puts the products it certifies through vigorous impact and penetration tests; sometimes the products are actually tested by live bears!
If the dumpster model you secure for your business (whether you purchase it yourself or rent it from a trash removal company) isn't on this list of IGBC-certified bear-resistant products, it hasn't undergone this thorough testing procedure. That's not to say that only dumpsters and trash receptacles on the list are capable of resisting bears -- your products may be perfectly suitable but just not tested. If you're unsure of whether or not your dumpster is durable enough to keep the bears out, contact the local Forest Service office and ask if they offer courtesy bear-proofing inspections for trash receptacles.
Don't Just Lock Your Dumpster, Lock It Down
Don't ever underestimate the strength or intelligence of a bear. Not only can they bust their way into your dumpster and help themselves to dinner but they can also use that dumpster as a take-out container and grab their meal to go.
It goes without saying that your commercial dumpster should have a metal lid and be securely locked, but your dumpster should also be placed in a bear-resistant building or enclosure, or at the very least chained and locked to something very big and sturdy.
Choose A Trash Removal Service With Later Pick-Up Times
While bears do occasionally forage for food in the daytime, they're most active from dusk until dawn. If you unlock your dumpster or bring your business's trash to the curbside the evening before pick-up day, you're inviting a bear problem.
You want the contents of your dumpster and/or trash receptacles to remain vulnerable to bears for as little time as possible. If a commercial trash removal service picks up trash at 6 a.m. and you don't arrive at your office until 7 or 8 a.m., this trash service isn't going to work for you. Try to find a garbage pick-up service that collects trash later in the day so you can prepare your dumpster and bins right before they arrive, thus limiting the amount of time any bears in the area will have to come in contact with the garbage.
If you're about to open a business in bear country, it's time to place the details of your trash containment and removal near the top of your priority list. Bears raiding commercial dumpsters is a very real problem that endangers both the community and the bear population alike.
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