SANFORD — Residents a year from now may be disposing of their orange-bagged trash and recycling in special covered bins that can be picked up by an automated truck.

City Manager Steve Buck, Public Works Director Matt Hill and the City Council’s solid waste subcommittee are examining the prospect of adopting an automated trash and recycling pick-up system, similar to one instituted in Kennebunk in 2015.

“It is something we’re seriously exploring,” said City Councilor Robert Stackpole, a member of council’s solid waste subcommittee. 

Under the scenario, residents would be issued two covered bins, one for trash and one with a different color lid for recycling. They would deposit their pay-as-you-throw orange bags in one, and their loose recycling in the other. 

Proponents say the system has some distinct advantages.

While residents dispose of their trash in special city-sanctioned bags for which they pay a fee, recycling is placed curbside in open containers, either in red bins provided by the city or a receptacle the homeowner has devised. On windy days, the uncovered recycling blows all over the neighborhood.

“It would improve the visual impact within the community,” said Buck. “Two uniform containers, no trash blowing around or animals tearing bags open.”

“The recycling, through no one’s fault, gets blown down the street and makes a mess,” said Stackpole. “This would beautify the community.”

Buck said Casella, the company that provides curbside trash removal, also sees other advantages. The trash company has had challenges retaining some employees, particularly those who are stationed on the back of the trash trucks, picking up bins and dumping them into the hopper. Buck said there have been multiple days when the person stationed on the rear of the truck didn’t show up at all, or if they did, quit mid-morning.

Buck on Wednesday said the city is negotiating with Casella and if all goes well, a trash hauling contract will likely be on the City Council’s agenda for approval in late April. 

Bins would be distributed to residents free; under the plan, Sanford would use revenue from the pay -as you- throw bags to buy them. They would go to residents in single-family dwellings and in apartment buildings of four or fewer units — the same as those who participate in the pay-as-you- throw system. Buildings with five or more units are required to make their own trash disposal arrangements.

Buck said the city is looking at providing two 66-gallon bins for householders, with a senior option of two 33-gallon bins, and 94 gallons for multi-family dwellings that fall into the four unit and under category. Each bin would have a serial number associated with a particular household. 

He said the city had begun exploring options a couple of years ago and had looked at a clear bag option for recycling but the program was in its infancy, with no track record and the bags alone would have cost $100,000, so they began to look at alternatives. Earlier this week, the subcommittee heard from a company that provides bins.

Hill, the public works director, said the bin system works well in other communities and could provide some cost savings.

Buck pointed out that it costs Sanford nothing to dispose of recycling at Ecomaine, but that it costs $72.50 for each ton of waste disposed of at Casella’s Pine Tree facility in Westbrook.  

Under the automated system, trash would go directly to the Pine Tree facility,  bypassing and therefore extending the life of Sanford’s transfer station.

— Senior Staff Writer Tammy Wells can be contacted at 324-4444 (local call in Sanford) or 282-1535, ext. 327 or [email protected].