Bear Aware: Simple Steps to Keep Bears Out of Your Trash

If you live in bear country, you already know the drill: bears are out there, they’re hungry, and your trash can looks like an all-you-can-eat buffet. Keeping bears out of your garbage is one of the easiest things you can do to protect your home, your neighbors and Colorado’s bears.

Here’s the thing about trash: it’s basically fast food for bears. High calorie, low effort, no reservation needed. And once a bear scores a meal at your place, it’s going to remember where the good snacks are and come back for seconds. Colorado Parks and Wildlife’s advice is simple: keep your trash secured indoors overnight and only put it out the day of collection.

Use a Bear-Resistant Cart Where Available

If bear-resistant carts are offered in your Apex service area, do yourself (and the bears) a favor and get one.

Right now, bear-resistant carts are available in Steamboat Springs, Teller County, Chaffee County, Colorado Springs and Vail. Reach out to your local Apex team to check availability, pricing and whether it’s a good fit for your home.

These carts are built to keep bears out while still working seamlessly with our collection equipment. It’s a win-win: bears stay out, your trash still gets picked up on schedule.

One important note if you already have one: please don’t modify it. No drilling, no swapping parts, no aftermarket locks. These carts are engineered so the bear-resistant features and the collection mechanism work together, and messing with either one can throw the whole system off. If something’s not working right, just give your local Apex team a call instead of DIY-ing a fix.

Wait Until Morning to Put Your Trash Out

Bear-resistant cart or not, this one habit makes a huge difference: put your trash out the morning of collection, not the night before.

CPW recommends storing trash in a house, garage or secure shed until trash day, and skipping the overnight curbside stay for trash and recycling alike.

Yes, it’s one more thing to remember before you’ve had your coffee. But cutting down the hours your trash sits outside unattended is one of the simplest ways to keep bears from finding it in the first place.

A Few More Ways to Be Bear Aware

• Keep carts secured between collection days. A garage, shed or other secure spot beats the curb every time.
• Keep carts clean. Leftover food smells can attract wildlife even after the trash is gone. CPW recommends giving your cans a regular rinse.
• Don’t forget the recycling. Empty containers still carry odors, so recycling gets the same overnight rule as trash.
• Clean grills and grease traps after use. That barbecue smell you love? Bears love it too.
• Bring pet food inside. Outdoor bowls are basically a dinner bell.
• Pick up fallen fruit. Got fruit trees? Clear the ripe and fallen fruit from your yard regularly.
• Don’t intentionally feed wildlife. It might feel harmless, but it teaches animals to keep coming back, and that’s not safe for people or bears.
• Double check those latches. A bear-resistant cart only works if the latch is actually latched.

A Fed Bear Is a Returning Bear

This isn’t just about avoiding a messy driveway. Bears are smart, and once they find a reliable food source, they remember it. CPW puts it plainly: a bear that successfully finds food somewhere is likely to come back looking for more.

The good news? Small habits, multiplied across a whole neighborhood, add up to a real difference.

Need a Bear-Resistant Cart?

If you’re an Apex customer in Steamboat Springs, Teller County, Chaffee County, Colorado Springs or Vail, get in touch with your local team to learn about bear-resistant cart availability.

Contact Your Local Apex Team

For more on living safely alongside bears in Colorado, check out Colorado Parks and Wildlife’s Living with Bears resources.