The 3m-long soft toy was found by Samantha Cooper and her sister as they walked along Pendarves beach on June 22.
From a distance, they first wondered if the large 'creature' on the shore was a seal.
Environment Canterbury Ashburton zone delivery lead Nikki Jenkins said two staff members made the short trip from the Ashburton depot on June 26, less than 24 hours after The Ashburton Courier notified the regional council of the find.
"They were able to fit the large bear into the back of a ute," Jenkins said.
"At the charge of nine dollars, Big Ted was laid to rest at the Ashburton Resource Recovery Park.
"He was in very poor condition and had certainly seen better days."
She reminded people to dispose of rubbish properly, so it did not impact waterways and wildlife.
Meanwhile, The Ashburton Courier is none the wiser as to how Big Ted, as it was named by ECan, got to the beach.
One social media commenter joked about the find, saying there was a suggestion it was a boyfriend bear of a type sold online, especially in the US, for women to cuddle.
Another commenter claimed it had been on the beach for at least two weeks and had been used as a seat by people fishing.
