In the first three months of Concord's pay-as-you-throw program, overall trash volume has dwindled, recycling rates have soared and the city has saved itself a significant chunk of change, according to figures released yesterday.

Comparing quarterly figures from July to September of 2008 with the same period this year, the preliminary report shows Concord's solid waste volume is down nearly 50 percent - to 2,118 tons from 4,151 tons. Recycling is up about 75 percent to 888 tons collected in 2009 from 508 tons in 2008.

The numbers come from a quarterly report completed for the mayor and city council by the general services department.

The figures have exceeded the city's expectations, said Councilor Keith Nyhan, who sits on the solid waste advisory committee and advocated for the plan. The average waste reduction for communities that switch to pay-as-you-throw is between 25 and 45 percent, according to the Environmental Protection Agency.

In its first week, participation in the program increased to 96 percent from 90 percent, the report said. By the end of the second week, residents participated fully and have not left trash on the curb since, it said.

"I think these numbers speak for themselves," Nyhan said following the committee meeting last night. "We're very pleased with how the program has moved forward."

If the city continues the trend, it should save about $132,000 per quarter - or $528,000 annually - in reduced disposal costs, said general services director Chip Chesley. That number is preliminary, he said, because the Concord Regional Solid Waste/Resource Recovery Cooperative has yet to set a tipping fee for trash. The co-op has projected the cost to be about 65 cents per ton, he said, so that's what the city used in its calculations.

The report's numbers don't yet account for the increased cost associated with recycling, which is a flat annual fee, Chesley said.

Before pay-as-you-throw, recycling was picked up on a biweekly basis - now it's every week. That figure will be included in the final report submitted to the mayor and city council, he said.

Sales from the program's special purple bags - or Barney bags as they're sometimes called - have also brought in significant revenue, Chesley said. Through Sept. 30, the city bagged about $252,000 in sales. That money goes into the solid waste revenue fund, which offsets trash collection costs from the general services fund - the bill that's footed by taxpayers.

Concerns that implementing a pay-as-you-throw system would bring an increase in illegal dumping have been largely unfounded, Chesley said.

"We track it as best we can. In the first couple weeks, some bags showed up in parks," Chesley said. "For the most part, there hasn't been any significant increase relative to pay-as-you-throw."

Mayor Jim Bouley said yesterday that while the program may not have been popular in the beginning, it's doing exactly what it was designed to do: save money and increase recycling.

"Change is tough for a lot of folks," Bouley said. "It was a tough decision, but the councilors stepped up to the plate. Those numbers are reflecting the program being an overwhelming success."

Bouley said pay-as-you-throw has helped change his personal habits, too. Though his family recycled before, they've "drastically reduced output and started composting."

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