Dumpster program ahead of schedule as Gatlinburg works to reduce human-bear encounters

GATLINBURG, Tenn. (WATE) — The City of Gatlinburg is ahead of schedule with its Animal-Resistant Dumpster Program. The project, which required a $3 million investment by the City Commission last year, was launched in November 2023 and originally set to be complete by December 2024.

However, an accelerated schedule has allowed the city to place 454 dumpsters as of July 25. The dumpsters are designed to deter animals, particularly bears , from getting to the trash, eliminating it as a food source and reducing the likelihood of potentially dangerous encounters. Before this project, the Gatlinburg Sanitation Department collected garbage from privately owned dumpsters, and individuals and businesses were responsible for the maintenance of the containers.

Under the new program, the city will own and maintain the containers. In the city’s 2023-24 budget, a new position was hired to maintain the containers, and in the 2024-25 budget funds were appropriated for the construction of a dumpster maintenance building for repair, painting and general maintenance of the containers.

“This initiative, aimed at enhancing sanitation, public safety, and ultimately reducing human-bear encounters, marks a significant milestone in Gatlinburg’s continuous efforts to protect its citizens, visitors, and bears,” wrote the city.

In November, the city shared that the Gatlinburg Sanitation Department will stop the collection of trash from the current privately owned dumpsters on December 31, 2024 .

The new dumpsters will be on display during the Bear Management Education Open House on Tuesday, Aug. 13 from 9:30 a.m. to 4 p.m. at the American Legion Building at 1222 East Parkway in Gatlinburg. The Open House, which is hosted by the City of Gatlinburg, the Smokies Bearwise Taskforce, and the Tennessee Wildlife Resources Agency, aims to educate people about living safely and responsibly alongside bears.

For more information about the Animal-Resistant Dumpster Program. contact the Sanitation Department at 865-436-5959. For an issue with unsecured trash, contact the Gatlinburg Police Department at 865-436-5181.

Unsecured trash is a major contributor to interactions that can be dangerous to both humans and bears. In August 2023, one bear cub was killed and another was injured after they were struck by a vehicle while they were eating unsecured trash near a Sevier County roadway.

In June, several bear-to-human encounters were caught on camera in the Smoky Mountains near the city such as at Anakeesta and Bearskin Lodge . The bear that encountered the Anakeesta employee was later captured and euthanized . After these encounters, the TWRA urged people to make sure their trash was secured and to not feed bears either intentionally or unintentionally .

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