Recycling efforts saving money

Single-stream recycling appears to be working in Medford. In the program’s first year, the city saved $531,000 in trash-disposal costs compared with the prior year. The city’s recycling rate increased to 24 percent from 10 percent for the same period, Mayor Michael J. McGlynn announced last week. The single-stream system aims to encourage recycling by making the process easier. Residents receive one barrel for trash and another for recyclables, which do not have to be sorted. The program is a key piece of the city’s 10-year contract with Waste Management Inc.