Coquitlam residents who are not properly storing their garbage may be receiving a visit from the City’s Bylaw officers.
Living in a community with rich green spaces also brings about urban wildlife such as bears, coyotes and raccoons.
However, once an animal – and especially bears – become habituated to eating garbage, it often becomes a nuisance and eventually the bear, not our garbage, may be destroyed to protect public safety.
It is everyone’s responsibility to ensure that wildlife attractants are properly stored. This includes:
- Keeping garbage and food scraps out of reach and inaccessible to wildlife;
- Ensuring food scraps are put in Green Carts for weekly pick-up, and not Garbage Carts, which are picked up every two weeks;
- Only storing Garbage and Green Carts outside when they are clean and empty; and
- Only putting Garbage and Green Carts at the curbside between 5:30 and 7:30 a.m. on collection day. Residents who cannot accommodate this time should find alternatives such as asking a neighbour.
Failure to comply with these steps, or otherwise allowing wildlife to access your garbage, could result in a fine of $500 under the City’s Solid Waste Bylaw.