Labor Day marks the start of South Kingstown’s townwide recycling program.

As of tomorrow, all commercial haulers operating in town will be required to regularly collect recyclables curbside from their residential customers, or risk losing their license.

For years, the town looked into ways to raise its recycling rate from its previous 9-percent rate — which ranked among the lowest in the state.

The Town Council in June approved an ordinance requiring all haulers to collect recyclables in order to receive an annual license. Each company submitted a plan to the Public Services Department detailing how it would achieve the town’s goals.

Each private hauler will have to document on the 15th of each month that it has met the town’s minimum recycling rates. The council set the rate at 30 percent over the next year, meaning 30 percent of all trash collected would need to be recycled. The rate would increase by 2 percent each year through 2012.

The haulers will provide customers with two 65-gallon rolling recycling bins and a pamphlet detailing what items can be recycled. Residents should contact their haulers for a recycling pickup schedule, public services director Jon Schock said in a news release.

Residents seeking a licensed hauler can check the town’s Web site at www.southkingstownri.com or call the public services department at (401) 789-9331, ext. 2250.

Residents who prefer to dispose of their own waste and recyclables can continue to use the Rose Hill Regional Transfer Center.

In addition, the town has hired a recycling coordinator through a grant from the Rhode Island Resource Recovery Corporation to work with haulers and the community.

kmulvane@projo.com