Living in Squamish, the chances are high that you’ve seen or heard of bears opening waste bins for food. Try as you might, it can be difficult to keep them off the scent.
But with Canadian Bin Cleaning Ltd. having recently opened in Squamish, keeping those waste bins clean will be easier.
Co-owned by Mat Barry and Sara Heidenreich, who also operate Squamish Handyman Ltd., Barry said they saw an opportunity to help the community while being environmentally focused.
“Squamish being sort of the leader in all things environmentally, we thought it would be a good service,” said Barry.
The Canadian Bin Cleaning service is relatively straightforward and can tackle both personal waste bins and commercial trash cans.
Barry said all interested customers need to do is book online and fill out a request form. On there, they’ll ask when GFL picks up their garbage, and the service will come the day after to clean. Like trash day, customers stick their bins outside, and the service will come by in the morning to give them a “sparkling” clean, said Barry.
The cleaning uses 200-degree water and a biodegradable sanitizer; the water is filtered and recycled throughout the day to be more environmentally friendly. A catcher on the trailer rig takes away any leftover solids to be disposed of properly.
“We are eliminating the use of chemicals being washed down the drain,” said Heidenreich.
Looking towards the spring, bears accessing waste bins becomes a bigger issue for Squamish as they come out from hibernation and look for food.
“They love stinky trash bins and come tear everybody’s bins apart,” said Barry about the bears.
Moreover, bears who become used to easy access to food may sometimes be euthanized as they potentially become more accustomed or aggressive to humans. Squamish is no stranger to this issue.
Between 2015 and 2021, Squamish is tied for the ninth most euthanized bears in B.C. with 59, according to data obtained through a freedom of information request by the Fur-Bearers.
But while cleaning your waste bins is necessary and helpful, it can also be a fairly nasty chore.
“You know, people just hate cleaning their own garbage bins,” said Barry. “It’s disgusting; they’re big, and it’s hard to get in.”
“Our process is super simple, quick and easy,” said Barry, who added it probably takes about two minutes to clean a bin.
So far, Barry said the response from the first customers has been spectacular.
“Once they see how good it is, everybody loves it,” he said. “The response has been amazing.”
While Barry and Heidenreich have some long-term plans in mind, the short-term goal is pretty simple.
“We’re hoping everybody jumps on board,” said Barry.
For more information about Canadian Bin Cleaning Ltd., including pricing and booking, please visit CanadianBinCleaning.ca or follow them on Facebook, Instagram or TikTok.
Editor's note: This story is part of The Squamish Chief’s pilot project business beat. This is a journalism piece; therefore, no financial or other benefit came to the paper or reporter to feature the company. To be considered, email [email protected].
