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About Our Original Bear-Resistant Cans – from our neighbor and bear-can guru, Brian Laissle 

We were able to secure two state grants to help cover the cost of the bear-resistant cans. While they weren’t fully funded, the goal was to test if they could reduce bear activity in our area.

And for the most part—they have! Most neighborhoods west of Markham Woods Road in Seminole County have adopted them, and bear encounters have gone down. That said, they’re not foolproof. A large, hungry bear prepping for winter can still cause damage, and honestly, we’ve had more issues from Waste Pro than the bears themselves.

Here are a few tips to help keep them away:

1. Don’t put food waste in the can until pickup day (Tuesday/Friday).
I store mine in plastic bags in the garage until then. Most people leave their cans outside, and bears generally learn they can’t open them easily.

2. Use small kitchen-size bags for food waste.
This allows Waste Pro to grab the bags by hand instead of using the truck’s lift arm—which is what often damages the cans. If the can is too heavy, they resort to using the machine.

3. Never feed the bears—intentionally or not.
They may seem harmless, but they’re wild animals and can be dangerous. I’ve had two close calls, within three feet of a 400 lb bear. It’s not something I’d wish on anyone.

Let’s all do our part to stay safe and keep the bears wild.