Trash cans in the City of Montrose will soon have some company at the end of residents' driveways. The city is set to launch a curbside recycling program in March.

After more than a year of planning, working out contracts, and finding the funds, Montrose city officials say they're all set.

"We're going to kick off curbside recycling March Third," said Jim Hougnon, Director of Municipal Services for the City of Montrose. "We're really excited about it."

Hougnon says the idea was first floated around three years ago, when the city went from twice-a-week trash pick up to once-a-week. He says the money they were able to save there coupled with the money the city saved taking trash to a transfer station made it possible to fund the new recycling program -- with some good news for city sanitation customers.

"We will be doing this through our sanitation service without raising our rates for the first several years," said Hougnon.

City residents say the program has been a long time coming.

"I felt great," said Beverly Townsend, a city sanitation customer. "I've wanted them to do it for several years. I've recycled for probably fifteen or twenty years."

"It's very exciting," said city sanitation customer Laura Cavin. "I definitely accumulate a lot of recycling."

Customers say it's great they'll be able to set their materials by the curb rather than having to pack them in their cars and drive them to the recycling center like they do now.

"I do it once a month," said Townsend. "And it takes part of my lunch hour."

City officials say the new program is more than just convenient for their customers.

"The real benefit is to the environment," said Hougnon. "We expect to be taking fifteen to thirty percent of our material out of the landfill."

They say less trash in the land fill means less costs for the city. Based on the results of a recent survey, officials say they're confident residents will help them make that happen.

"Almost eighty percent of our residents said they were either likely or very likely to participate in a curbside recycling program," said Hougnon.

City sanitation customers who sign up for the program will receive two bins -- one for plastics and one for metals. Paper materials can be put in a separate bag then be placed on top of the bins. The new city recycling crew will pick the bins up once every two weeks.

"I think it's a great addition because I know a lot of people who don't recycle because it's inconvenient right now," said Cavin. "So hopefully that will help people recycle more."

For more information on how you can sign up for the program, you can call City Hall at (970) 240-1400 or click on the link below. Officials want to remind Montrose residents only city sanitation customers will be able to sign up for the program.