Proper management of trash can keep bears and other wildlife safe. Courtesy photo

ENVIRONMENTAL SERVICES NEWS

Zero Waste Tip: A Fed Bear is A Dead Bear!

Keep food waste out of your trash roll cart until collection day. One option is to store food waste like meat scraps, wrappers that smell of food, cheese, fats, fruit, desserts, and other appealing food wastes in your freezer. This not only protects wildlife, it greatly reduces unpleasant odors for whoever has to take out the trash!

Paying attention to how we manage our trash can help keep bears and other wildlife safe, protect the environment, and conserve valuable resources. Here are some tips:

• Store your trash roll cart inside a garage, shed, or other sturdy structure, until the morning of trash pick-up.
• Keep food waste out of your trash roll cart until collection day. One option is to store food waste like meat scraps, cheese, fats, fruit, desserts, and other appealing food wastes in your freezer. This not only protects wildlife, it greatly reduces unpleasant odors for whoever has to take out the trash!
• Gently rinse your recyclables before putting them in the blue recycle cart, to remove food odors.
• Properly compost your vegetable scraps at home:
  • Never backyard compost meat, fish, oil, eggs, dairy products, sweets or large amounts of fruit because they can attract wildlife including rodents and bears.
  •  Locate compost well away from house.
  •  Keep your compost pile odor-free by turning often and including brown material (dry leaves, grass, etc.)
  • Consider indoor composting with worms.
  • If you don’t have space for composting, see if a neighbor might be interested in your food scraps!
• Keep your trashcan clean by using bags to contain your waste.
• If you have fruit trees, pick fruit as it ripens. Remove fallen fruit from your yard. If you don’t want to pick yourself, advertise on Facebook to have others come pick or post a Pick Me sign in your front yard to allow others to pick fruit.
• Use washable/reusable storage and serving containers and utensils instead of disposable materials such as Styrofoam, plastic wrap, aluminum foil etc., to keep food smells out of the trash.
• Clean grills immediately after use.
• Collect cooking oil and grease in a glass, plastic or metal container with a lid. When ready to dispose of it, transfer it to a plastic bag, seal the bag tightly and place in trash on the morning of pickup.
• Bring in dog food bowls and bird feeders to avoid attracting bears to your property.
• Never feed a bear! A fed bear is a dead bear.

These are just a few of the ways our Zero Waste Team has found to cohabitate safely with bears and other wildlife. Reducing human bear interactions not only keeps you safe but bears too.

Share your favorite experience, tips, and solutions to reduce human bear interactions on the Los Alamos County Environmental Services Facebook.

For more information, check out the Los Alamos County Environmental Services webpage at www.losalamosnm.us/gogreen. For those with questions or concerns, please contact Environmental Services at 505-662-8163 or solidwaste@lacnm.us

* Zero Waste Team:  The Environmental Sustainability Board (ESB) and Environmental Services Division (ESD) formed the Zero Waste Team to educate the community on: 

1. reducing waste and greenhouse gas emissions, and 
2. conserving energy and water. 

Comprising community volunteers and Los Alamos County employees, the team achieves the ESB and ESD charge through printed and digital messaging that is shared through traditional media sites, social media, and brochures. Moreover, the Zero Waste team members work with individuals and organizations, such as restaurant owners, businesses, schools, and residents, to incorporate these best practices to reduce and conserve into daily routines. To join or contact the Zero Waste team, contact ZeroWaste@lacnm.us.