Bear-Proof Trash Cans Are Coming To 6 Northwestern NJ Towns, DEP Says

NORTH JERSEY — A new initiative aims to reduce black bear encounters in some northwestern New Jersey communities by rolling out heavy-duty trash bins to keep the foraging creatures away.

The New Jersey Department of Environmental Protection said it will provide nearly 3,000 certified bear-resistant trash bins to residents of six local towns where bear-related nuisances are common. These rolling carts are equipped with a more rugged rim, a double-walled lid, a thicker handle and lid — and fewer "pry points" for clever bears to pull them open.

Free containers will be available for residents in the Morris County communities of Jefferson and Rockaway; the Passaic County town of West Milford; and the Sussex County communities of Sparta, Hardyston, and Hampton.

The state has a contract with Toter LLC to purchase the bins at a lower cost, with $500,000 carved out in the state budget for the new initiative (about $166 per receptacle).

A Toter bear-resistant bin like the one pictured below can cost residents about $350 at a store or online.

The first shipments are expected before the end of April. Each town will be responsible for distributing the trash receptacles, the DEP said.

Officials said reducing the presence of trash and other food sources is essential to mitigating property damage from bears, as well as possible encounters.

When bears come to associate human homes and neighborhoods with food access, they are more likely to venture into peoples' yards in search of an easy-to-reach trash can, seeds from a bird feeder, a bag of pet food, or even residue on a barbecue grill.

There have been black bear sightings in all 21 counties in New Jersey, but the population is mostly concentrated to the northwestern part of the state, officials said. Bears are most commonly seen in Morris, Sussex, Warren and northern Passaic counties, as well as portions of Hunterdon, Somerset and Bergen counties.

Janine MacGregor, Director of the DEP’s Division of Sustainable Waste, said these containers go through rigorous testing, and are proven to keep bears from rummaging through peoples' garbage.

“Residential use of these containers per manufacturer recommendations is effective at preventing bears from obtaining food from trash," MacGregor said in a statement.