Separate your cans and cardboard no more! Single stream sorting has arrived in Mattapoisett and more changes are on the way that could benefit the town financially, says Board of Health Agent Dale Barrows.

Barrows said ABC Disposal Service, the New Bedford-based company that collects the town’s trash and recycling, went to a single stream system around six months ago; however, the information is now being disseminated to residents. A flyer detailing the changes will be sent to residents at the end of the month.

The more that goes into the recycling bin instead of the garbage helps the town, said Barrows.

Under its current contract with SEMASS, the town pays $22 per ton of trash processed at the Rochester plant. The overall cost per month fluctuates depending on usage. The town also pays ABC $292,240 to collect trash and $125,626 to collect recycling. Residents fund the pickups through their taxes.

Trash accounts for approximately 70 percent of what the town throws out, said Barrows, who hopes more people will recycle with the move to single stream. The town does not receive any funds from the recycling, as Barrows said the market is volatile. But it still benefits the budget, he said.

“Every ton I can keep out of SEMASS is money the town saves. Who knows what Mattapoisett will be paying in the future. As much as you can get out of that waste stream, it benefits the town.”

Barrows said single stream has been shown to increase recycling in other towns, sometimes up to 40 percent.

“It makes it a lot easier,” he said. “That’s one of the drawbacks to recycling – sometimes it can be a pain.”

To further encourage recycling, Barrows and the Board of Health are looking into the purchase of wheeled bins for each residence in town. The 99-gallon recycling bin and 66-gallon trash bin would go hand in hand with a new ABC truck outfitted with a specialized arm to pick up the bins. Additionally, the new bins mean residents won’t have to cut down large cardboard boxes and other items.

Barrows said the board is still researching the cost, but plans to have all the information in place for voters at Annual Town Meeting in May.