MARBLEHEAD — New trash and recycling carts will begin arriving at homes across town next week as the town prepares for a July 1 transition to automated curbside collection, a change that will affect nearly every household regardless of how residents vote on the June 9 trash override.

Starting July 1, trash and recycling will only be collected from town-issued carts under a new contract that replaces Marblehead’s current collection model with automated trucks equipped with mechanical lifting arms.

Approximately 16,000 trash and recycling carts are expected to be distributed to homes and eligible businesses before July 1. Each property will receive a 65-gallon trash cart and a 95-gallon recycling cart. The carts are assigned to the property, not the resident, and remain town property under regulations adopted by the Board of Health in April.

Board of Health member Tom McMahon said officials intentionally pushed to get the carts delivered weeks before the new system takes effect.

“That’s something I was really pushing for,” McMahon said.

The transition to the new collection system is separate from Question 4 on the June 9 ballot, which asks voters whether to approve a $2.3 million override to fund curbside trash and recycling through the town budget.

If approved, curbside collection would continue to be funded through property taxes. If rejected, the town would automatically move to a subscription-based model.

“If the override vote does not pass, by default we move to a subscription model,” McMahon said.

Under that model, households would automatically be enrolled at an estimated cost of $290 annually unless they opt out.

“Everyone would be automatically opted-in to this,” McMahon said.

The override stems from a decision by town officials to remove the cost of curbside trash and recycling collection from the operating budget. Question 4 asks voters whether to restore that funding through a dedicated $2.3 million override.

If approved, the cost of curbside collection would be spread across the town’s tax base, meaning homeowners would pay according to their property values. If rejected, the town would move to a subscription model in which participating households would pay the same annual fee regardless of home value.

McMahon has also criticized the town’s handling of trash funding, arguing that a previous override approved decades ago for trash and recycling should have remained dedicated to that purpose.

“One thing that I think is infuriating is that we’ve had a trash override in the past,” McMahon said. “That money should be forever earmarked for trash.”

Regardless of the outcome, the new carts and automated collection system will take effect on July 1.

One of the biggest changes residents will notice is that all trash and recycling must fit inside the carts with the lids fully closed. Cardboard boxes, bags, and other items left outside the containers will not be collected.

“And one thing to remember, everything collected has to be in barrels with the next contract,” McMahon said. “So Amazon boxes and such need to be broken down, not left on the sides.”

Board of Health regulations state that trash or recycling left outside the carts may not be collected and could result in fines.

McMahon said the larger containers could also support a future move to every-other-week recycling collection if the town seeks additional savings when the current contract expires.

The transition is expected to pose challenges in Marblehead’s historic district, where narrow lots and limited storage space leave little room for large containers.

McMahon clarified that the option to downsize carts applies only to residents in the downtown and historic district areas.

“The choice to move down from the 95-gallon recycling and 65-gallon trash to the 65-gallon recycling and 35-gallon trash is for the downtown and historic district areas only,” he said.

The town purchased 180 sets of smaller carts for residents who can demonstrate a need for them. Requests are being reviewed by the Health Department on a case-by-case basis.

Outside the historic district, residents will begin with the standard-sized carts.

“There’s no six-week trial for them,” McMahon said. “They get what they get.”

The town has also fielded questions about what residents should do with their current trash barrels once the new carts arrive.

“They’re yours, they’re your property,” McMahon said. Residents may keep, recycle, or repurpose their existing barrels. He added that plenty of construction companies would likely be happy to use and repurpose them.

Property owners who do not wish to participate in municipal collection may opt out by certifying they have made alternative arrangements through a private hauler, the transfer station, or another approved method. Seasonal participation is not allowed.

With deliveries beginning next week and the implementation date approaching, McMahon said the focus now should be on helping residents prepare.

While acknowledging the adjustment may be difficult, particularly in the downtown area, he said he believes residents will adapt quickly.

“This was not the ideal solution, it will be difficult to adapt to, but we’ll get through it and come fall you won’t even remember it being an issue,” McMahon said.