Garbage pilot program trashed

PRINCE GEORGE – The City is trashing a pilot program aimed at curbing bear-human conflicts. In April of 2019, the City initiated a pilot project with the introduction of 300 bear-resistant residential solid waste carts within a high-frequency bear area in the Hart Highlands neighbourhood.

The bear-resistant cart includes a built-in locking mechanism in the lid that is supposed to open when inverted by the garbage collection vehicle. Residents in the pilot project area received the carts at no additional cost for the duration of the project. Parks and Solid Waste Services staff have monitored the challenges of the pilot project for potential expansion of the system in future years.

After monitoring the bear-resistant carts in the field for almost 3 years, it has been determined the existing latch system is unreliable and problematic in cold weather. Of the 300 carts in the field, 22 have had the special latch completely replaced, a failure rate of approximately 8%. In addition to the complete failures, Solid Waste staff face the weekly challenges of trying to empty carts that are inoperable due to frozen latches or latches plugged with debris etc.