Saline residents in apartment complexes and condominiums who do not receive curbside recycling pickup from the city’s trash collector may soon see additional recycling carts near the trash Dumpsters at their complexes.

The city and contracted trash hauler Waste Management began a pilot program at Six Trails apartment complex in April that’s been well received by residents, and Jeff Fordice, the city’s director Department of Public Works.

Fordice recommended that the program be expanded to other apartment complexes in the city.

During a work session of the Saline City Council Monday night, Fordice said there had been requests by residents and property owners to increase residential recycling throughout the city.

The expansion will not increase costs to residents, Fordice said. He also hasn't gathered data yet to get a read on the participation rate.

“The pilot program at Six Trails was rolled out in April so there’s no data yet,” Fordice said.

Single-family homeowners in the city who receive curbside pick-up pay 1.490 mills as a solid waste tax, which amounts to $149 for a home with an assessed value of $100,000, said Lee Bourgoin, the city's finance director.

They receive once a week curbside trash pick-up, recycling pick-up, and seasonal yard waste pick-up, city officials said.

With an expanded recycling program for apartment and condo residents without curbside pick-up, two recycling carts would be added per Dumpster at no additional charge.

“What we can do is provide (these) residential (customers) with a commercial-style service. When they take their trash to the Dumpsters, they can take their recycling, too,” said Patrick Greve, public service solutions representative for Waste Management.

Two 96-gallon carts would be provided for each trash container.

“We can run this through June 2012 and see where we go from there,” Fordice said, adding that he’d be contacting management of the complexes.

Although they didn’t take a formal vote, the City Council was in favor of expanding the service.

“It seems like a good idea to me to offer it to all the complexes,” said Councilman David Rhoads, “Especially if there is no extra cost to the city or the residents.”

The City Council also discussed the possibility of allowing residents who receive curbside recycling to purchase larger recycling containers. “Waste Management can provide this service to those that want it, but there will be a fee to cover the cost of providing a special container,” Fordice told the City Council.

The fee would amount to an annual lease fee of $48. Residents pay $8 for a bin and $4 for a lid, Rhoads said.

“This would be a hybrid; a co-mingled route of bins and carts, which would be unique,” Greve said. “It changes the efficiency of the route and it might take a little longer.”

Residents who live west of Ann Arbor Street have their trash and recycling picked up on Thursday, Fordice said, while those that live east of Ann Arbor Street have a Friday pick-up.

Greve said Waste Management would continue the service for large and small recycling containers on a weekly basis, but depending on the popularity of the larger containers, recycling pickup might end up going to an every other week schedule.

Lisa Allmendinger is a regional reporter for AnnArbor.com. She can be reached at lisaallmendinger@annarbor.com. For more Saline stories, visit our Saline page.