LEBANON — Users of the Lebanon landfill will see major changes to the payment system for disposal services as the city rolls out new initiatives aimed at reducing household waste, adding convenience and improving operating efficiency.

The facility will introduce prepaid trash bags and online transactions as new payment methods in an effort to phase out the current punch card system.

These new payment options will become available in August and September to give users time to adjust before new rules take effect in January 2024.

On Jan. 1, credit or debit cards will be required to pay for the disposal of non-bagged items, and punch cards to pay for bagged trash will only be allowed for Lebanon residents.

Residents of the 22 member communities that use the landfill — including Hanover, Hartford, Enfield, Norwich and Canaan — must dispose of bagged trash using special customized trash bags, which will be sold at local supermarkets and other retailers.

The bags will become available in stores Aug. 7. Two sizes will be available — 15 gallons and 30 gallons. The 15-gallon bags will cost $10 for a roll of 10, or $1 per bag. A roll of five 30-gallon bags will cost $10, or $2 per bag.

Solid Waste Manager Erica Douglas said the 15-gallon bags would help landfill users save money. Under the current system, it costs $2 to toss out any household trash bag regardless of size.

“What this new system will do is split the bags up so that (people) who come in twice a week with their 15-gallon bags, they won’t be paying $2 per bag anymore, but paying $1,” Douglas said.

In September, once the facility’s new management software system is running, landfill staff will accept credit or debit payments for disposal of non-bagged items, as well as household electronics or furniture. Non-bagged trash refers to miscellaneous items that do not have a particular pricing category. Non-bagged trash is priced according to weight — volumes weighing 200 pounds or less are charged a $10 minimum. Items like electronics or furniture are generally charged per unit.

The combination of prepaid bags and on-site credit or debit payments is intended to simplify and streamline the payment process and to allow staff to record disposed items efficiently and accurately, Douglas said.

“It will be a lot less time-consuming for the staff,” Douglas said. “They’ll be just confirming the permits and anyone with bagged trash will be able to go right through.”

In addition to being purple, the bags will have a new facility logo on them, making it easier for staff to identify them. Staff will need to know the number of bags in order to report the amount of waste being disposed of to the state Department of Environmental Services, Douglas said.

Doug Birnie, a Lebanon resident and longtime user of the landfill, voiced strong support for the new payment system, saying that it will save time and spare employees from being placed “in an awkward position” of having to turn customers away because they do not have enough punches to pay for their items — which Douglas said is a frequent problem at the facility.

“The staff really do a tremendous job,” Birnie said. “This landfill is so valuable to the city. And they have a lot of great things here but it’s the people (who make it special).”

Another major goal of this new program is to encourage facility users to reduce the amount of household waste going into the landfill.

Prepaid bags encourage people to be more aware of the cost of waste disposal, Deputy City Manager of Special Projects Paula Maville said. In addition, the program offers a cost savings to people who dispose of smaller volumes of trash, such as in 15-gallon increments instead of 30 gallons or more.

The program also is designed to pair with the facility’s alternatives to the landfill, such as the food composting program, where people can bring their food scraps for free instead of paying to throw them away.

When people are considering what they’re throwing away, they tend to be “more thoughtful and more conscious” about what they are putting in their trash bags, Douglas said.

The bags are being manufactured and distributed by WasteZero, a Raleigh, N.C., company that serves 300 communities nationwide, including 13 in New Hampshire. The purple bags ordered by Lebanon are made of 50-75% recycled content.

WasteZero will be responsible for working with local supermarkets and other businesses to stock the bags, which are usually available for purchase at the cashier counter or customer service desk.

The businesses are not allowed to mark up the prices of the bags. Mark Dancy of WasteZero said that has not discouraged retailers from carrying the bags.

“Our experience is that retailers are more than happy to participate,” Dancy told the city council on June 7. “They don’t want to tell their customers to go somewhere else, so it really becomes a public service. I’ve found retailers to be incredibly cooperative.”

While Lebanon residents may still use punch cards when the new rules take effect, Maville said she believes that they will eventually see the convenience of buying the prepaid bags at their supermarket instead of punch cards, which will be sold only at a few locations.

“You can just buy bags and come to the landfill, where you’ll dispose of your bags on one side and pay by credit card (for unbagged items) on the other side,” Maville told the council. “You’re not having to buy 20 punch cards to dispose of one truckload of (trash), so I think it’s going to make (the process) a little more harmonious and help people with that change.

Notably, all landfill users will be required to purchase a new permit for the facility before Jan. 1, once the new software system is operating, Maville said.

New or renewed permits cost $5 and can be purchased only online. Previously there was no charge to Lebanon residents if purchasing online but Douglas said the fee is necessary in part because of credit card company transaction fees.

Patrick Adrian can be reached at padrian@vnews.com or at 603-727-3216.