The county board is set to look into a way to lower the costs of a potential switch to single-sort recycling.

Last month, the county board opened the bidding for a proposed switch from sorted to single-sort recycling. However, cost is going to be a key question. At Tuesday’s 8:30 a.m. meeting, the board is slated to discuss whether a recycling transfer station or a staging area would reduce the final cost.

According to County Coordinator Craig Oscarson, the county doesn’t know how far the material will be transported. If it’s a great distance, that could add cost to the bid. A site for temporary storage would allow for the product to be hauled to the final destination on a larger vehicle like a semi trailer truck, according to Oscarson.

Waste haulers have until 1 p.m. on June 18 to apply for the potential contract to pick up Mower’s recycling.

The board will likely discuss the bids at its June 23 meeting but could leave more time for discussion. The board will have 30 days to award the work to a bidder, should it vote to move forward.

So far, most community feedback has favored switching to single-sort recycling. However, Oscarson said the board may wait to see if feedback changes once the bids outline expected cost increases.

Currently, all residential properties pay $16 to $18 a year for curbside recycling as part of county property taxes, whether they recycle or not. The single-sort fee would also come off property taxes, but county officials say it will cost more. They’ve estimated it could cost $4.25 to $5 a month — $51 to $60 a year.

Recycling is currently handled by the county, which requires plastics, glass and aluminum cans, and paper to be separated. If the county switches to single-sort, all residential properties would enter the program and pay a yearly fee for recycling, which would be picked up and disposed of every other week by a contractor.

Businesses — including apartments, senior home facilities, churches and government offices — wouldn’t be included automatically like residential properties, but the contract calls for the garbage hauler to offer recycling services to such properties for a reasonable fee.

If approved, the county wouldn’t switch to single-sort until April 1, 2016, as the county has a contract with Cedar Valley Services to pick up recycling through March 31, 2016.

Mower’s current curbside recycling

Newspaper bin: Newsprint, magazines, white office paper, cardboard

Cans & glass bin: Glass jars/bottles, aluminum, tin cans

Plastics bin: Type 1 and 2 plastics

For more on the current recycling, visit www.co.mower.mn.us/files/public-works/recycling-hhw/AcceptableMaterialsList2011.pdf

Possible single sort recycling

One bin: newsprint, magazines, white office paper, glass jars/bottles, aluminum, tin cans, Type 1-7 plastics