Andover residents will receive free trash toters from the Town under a new five-year contract it’s negotiating with Republic Services.
The select board on Monday unanimously approved allowing Andover Town Manager Andrew Flanagan to negotiate the new contract renewal with Republic Services, which is up more than five percent from the current contract. The first-year increase of 6.64 percent includes approximately $1.2 million to pay for the new toters and the change over to the new system. The contract increases 5.5 percent in years two through five.
If the contract is approved, Andover residents will receive a 64-gallon trash toter and a 96-gallon recycling toter at no cost. Smaller 35-gallon toters will be available for people who cannot manage the larger bins.
Toters are used in automated trash collection, which is fast becoming the industry standard. Republic said automated pickup increases efficiency and that it would not renew the contract without the switch. For the Town, it could result in a cost savings on disposal fees, as people tend to generate less trash when they switch to the toters.
Much of the rest of the contract remains the same. Trash pickup will be weekly and recycling pickup will be biweekly. Residents will still be able to dispose of one item per week, and the Town will continue to offer 12 weeks of yard waste pickup.