After four residents stepped forward to fill several vacant seats on the panel late last month, the municipal solid waste committee is gearing up to get down and dirty on the town’s waste and recycling programs.

Although Public Works Director Rick Russell had remained optimistic that the committee would still be able to thoroughly examine all of the alternatives to Salem’s current solid waste system with three seats slated for residents still empty a month ago, he believes the group will now be open to a wider range of ideas and suggestions.

“More people, more thoughts. That’s the way I look at it,” he said. “More people means more ideas. It’s all the better.”

Originally created with the intention of leaving six open seats to be filled by residents, the committee will now comprise seven residents at large, Selectman Patrick Hargreaves and Budget Committee member Russell Frydryck, according to Russell.

Richard Cooney, one of the four residents to recently step forward, said concerns over the town’s recycling numbers had led him to pursue a seat on the committee.

“I have an interest in this facility because I use it. I’m concerned that we’re not recycling at the level we should be as compared to other towns in New Hampshire and other places in the world,” he said. “I want to see if I can help correct that situation.”

According to Cooney, the town could do a better job of educating the public on recycling. He would like to see more signs at the transfer station informing users about what is recyclable and how to increase their own recycling percentage.

Ronald Wells, another new addition to the committee, also pointed to recycling as a central motivation in volunteering for a seat on the panel.

“I just find it hard to understand why people can’t get behind the bandwagon and separate their trash,” said Wells, who has had an interest in waste management prior to joining the committee. “It’s not something that is hard to do. I find it very easy. Hopefully we can get more people to develop that same attitude.”

Selectmen formed the committee last summer, tasking the group with analyzing alternatives to the town’s current waste management system and whether they could be implemented in Salem. Officials have placed emphasis on encouraging increased recycling in the community as a way to bolster the bottom line.

Currently, each ton of trash hauled from the transfer station costs the town $81 while the same amount of recyclable materials costs $26. That translates into a $55 savings for every ton of recyclables that is diverted from the solid waste stream, according to Russell.

“The biggest thing in my opinion is our recycling rate. If we increase recycling we’re going to reduce our waste disposal costs and the more ways we do that the better our tax base is,” Wells said.

According to Russell, the committee will meet for the first time on Oct. 8 at the Department of Public Works.

Robert LaBossiere and David Kincman are the two other new members to the committee.

Residents William Arivella, Peter Klecan and Donald Freeman were appointed earlier this year.