Mayfield Village Joins Highland Heights on Trash

, which has combined on rubbish contracts for about 10 years, will join up once again to seek bids and try to save money.

Both communities are under a three-year contract with J&J Refuse that expires in June. They have the option of taking two automatic one-year renewals, but competition has lowered costs elsewhere so they are attempting to take advantage of the current marketplace.

Highland Heights Service Director Thom Evans said Mentor lowered its cost by 20 percent. Doug Metzung, his counterpart in Mayfield Village, said he doesn't know if the same savings can be achieved here.

"I don't know what Mentor was paying," he explained.

Mayfield Village paid $208,830 for rubbish collection in 2011 based on a cost per household of $12.28 for solid waste and $2.15 for recycling.

Metzung said savings from a new contract might not be quite as much as elsewhere because they received a good deal last time.

"J&J was just starting out and gave us a good deal. We got in on the ground floor," he said.