JAY — The town is out of the Dumpster service.

Selectmen voted unanimously Monday to eliminate the service effective June 30.

It doesn’t mean that the town won’t pick up businesses’ trash, Selectman Tim DeMillo said.

It just means the town won’t be dumping Dumpsters anymore, he said.

If business representatives, trailer park or apartment complex owners want to continue having a Dumpster, a private contractor will need to be hired.

If they want to put their trash in clear or transparent, blue bags or in barrels at the curb, the town will pick it up, DeMillo said.

A committee studied ways to make solid waste and recycling more efficient in town. Several ideas have already been implemented and this was another one expected to save the town money by not having to run and maintain two trucks as is currently done.

Though the exact amount of savings is unknown, it is expected to be several tens of thousands of dollars, Public Works Department Foreman John Johnson said.

Selectmen voted Monday to implement single-sort recycling on Monday, Feb. 14. All recyclables including all plastics 1 through 7, empty aerosol cans, and other items not currently recycled, will be able to go in one container instead of being sorted.

Workshops on single-sort recycling will be conducted at 2 p.m. and 6 p.m. on Tuesday, Jan. 18, at the town office.

A new truck has been ordered and expected to be in by the end of the month that can handle both trash and recyclables.

One thing about the new method, selectmen Chairman Steve McCourt said, is that empty oil jugs from garages can go in the regular trash.

“There is a lot of stuff that can go into single-sort,” he said.

It currently costs nothing to get rid of recyclables, DeMillo said, and it will cost $60 a ton for tipping fees to get rid of trash.

Businessman Phil Maurais said that he understands the need to cut costs but the board has no concrete numbers on what will be saved. He and other business owners were willing to pay a fee to have the town continue the service. However, DeMillo said it was too difficult to decide who should have a Dumpster and who should pay a private hauler.

DeMillo said he believes eliminating the Dumpster service will save $60,000 to $70,000 a year. He estimated all cost-saving measures that were implemented last year and will be put in place this year will save about $300,000. That would be used to reduce the town’s $1.14 million solid waste and recycling budget. No workers lost their jobs, one position wasn’t filled and another worker is working at the Public Works Department.

DeMillo believes there could be more cost savings, he said.

That reflects a lower price for solid waste disposal that Town Manager Ruth Cushman negotiated, he said.

Cushman told the board that they won’t be able to give the Dumpsters away because they were bought with taxpayers’ money.

DeMillo had suggested those who rent Dumpsters from the town at $144 a month, should be able to keep them.

dperry@sunjournal.com