Recycling in Rochester is set to change in about nine months when ABC Disposal Inc. introduces a new single stream service for residents.

Previously, the Highway Department picked up recycling while ABC Disposal has hauled town trash for the past 20 years. Voters at May’s Town Meeting approved the switch to correct an oversight.

Per state law, elected official Highway Surveyor Jeff Eldridge is not allowed to use his crews to remove trash or recycling. If residents wanted to keep the service town operated, it must be overseen by an appointed official in a Department of Public Works.

It’s an agency the town doesn’t have and one that would be very expensive to fund, former Town Administrator Rich LaCamera said at Town Meeting.

Instead, voters approved a $45,000 increase to the town’s waste disposal budget.

“That’s a three percent increase for the cost of the program,” LaCamera said. “We want to point out that additional amount of money is well worth the investment for this program. [ABC Disposal] is responsible for everything. They will handle all the calls, health insurance for employees and liability insurance.”

Last week, ABC Disposal’s Vice President Michael Camara and Operations Manager Jerry Dugan presented Selectmen with plans that described the new program.

“We’ve been working with the town for the past few months, and we think we’ve come up with a pretty good program,” Dugan said.

ABC Disposal will give each household in town two, 65-gallon bins with an attached lid and wheels. One bin is for trash while the other will hold recyclable material such as plastic, cardboard and glass. The recycling bins will accommodate single stream recycling, meaning residents do not have to separate the materials into different containers. Flyers yet to be mailed will detail the materials allowed in recycling bins.

Larger, 95-gallon bins will be available for families who might need the extra space, Dugan said.

Trash will be hauled away weekly and recycling materials picked up every other week.

The trucks picking up the bins are equipped to automatically dump the bins using specialized arms. Residents must place the bins near each other and side-by-side to accommodate the trucks.

Powered by compressed natural gas, Dugan said the trucks are much more fuel efficient and environmentally friendly than older trucks. ABC Disposal has its own natural gas fuel pumps in New Bedford to power the company’s fleet.

The company will purchase more trucks in the coming months to meet the demand of its contract with Rochester.

The new contract comes at a time when ABC Disposal is in the middle of constructing a state-of-the-art recycling facility in Rochester.

Located at 48 Cranberry Highway, officials broke ground on the site in December. It’s designed to take in solid waste, single stream recycling materials, construction and demolition debris and electronics.

Camara noted that Rochester residents will have the option to dispose of their electronics, items containing Freon such as air conditioners and refrigerators, mattresses, furniture, batteries and other difficult to dispose of items for a small fee, determined by the item.

Local contractors will also be able to dump demolition materials for a tipping fee of $85 per ton.

Selectmen approved the contract unanimously.

“We’ve been very happy with your service,” Selectman Rich Nunes said.