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County Invests Big In Bear Resistent Garbage Cans

    The ongoing effort to reduce human-related interactions with Florida black bears received a boost on Tuesday, when the Lake County Commission approved a new contract for the purchase of bear-resistant garbage cans.  Furthering a program that has existed for several years, the county has earmarked $200,000 for the purchase of special garbage cans designed to prevent hungry black bears from accessing.
    The county is contracting with Toter, LLC, in South Carolina for the next year, engaging in a program that will see the county purchase cans for $260 each. Cans historically have been distributed to areas more likely to experience bear interactions, with North Lake County among the more populous areas for bear/human contact.
    Toter is a subsidy of Wastequip, LLC, the nation’s largest provider of waste equipment, and which offers a product that has undergone live bear testing, technical evaluations, and more.  For a can to meet the bear resistant standard, it must withstand 60 minutes of bear contact, including rolling, clawing, biting, and pouncing - without allowing bear access or failing structurally.
    Human/bear contact continues to be a growing concern, as the bear population continues to grow and human encroachment into rural areas continues.