Cape Elizabeth town councilors are considering regulations that would decrease town waste disposal bills by cutting down the amount of waste Cape residents throw out.

The proposed regulations would create a so-called “pay-per-bag” system for residents, require businesses to handle their own waste and not use the Cape Elizabeth transfer station, require commercial haulers to use facilities other than the Cape transfer station and require town departments to improve their recycling efforts.

The changes to the town Health and Sanitation ordinance were proposed by Councilor Paul McKenney, who could not be reached for comment because he was out of town last week.

Town Manager Michael McGovern described the proposed amendments as “far-reaching,” with the potential to save hundreds of thousands of dollars, but noted they could also be a burden to commercial haulers.

Town officials say the proposed regulations are modeled on those in towns like Falmouth, which requires residents to buy specially marked trash bags to dispose of their waste. The bags cost $14.55 per 10, 20-gallon bags and $20.80 per 20, 33-gallon bags, said Falmouth Parks and Public Works Director Skip Varney.

The town’s recycling rate has roughly doubled since the pay-per-bag policy was implemented and now stands at 40-plus percent, he said.

Cape Elizabeth currently produces 57 percent more trash per capita than Falmouth, McGovern said, despite the fact that at least some residents are diligent recyclers.

“You need to ask yourself, ‘Why should it be that different?'” he said. “It’s because of the incentive they have (in Falmouth) to recycle, which we don’t have.”

It costs the town $160 a ton to dispose of solid waste at ecomaine, McGovern said. Recycling is far less costly.

Council Chairwoman Mary Ann Lynch said she is “waiting with interest” to see how town residents and businesses respond to the proposed trash disposal regulations.

She said she thinks the town could recycle 60 or 70 percent of its solid waste if residents made the effort.

Chris Hall, Portland Regional Chamber of Commerce vice president, said most businesses in the Portland area already pay privately for trash removal, so Cape Elizabeth would not be breaking new ground by requiring the same of its commercial establishments.

He said the proposed ordinances would be more likely to affect small, home-based businesses, whose proprietors are accustomed to disposing of business waste with their household trash.

“It will (be a burden) for some people. It probably won’t for others,” he said.

The council has referred the proposed ordinances to the ordinance committee, which will hold a joint meeting with the town recycling committee on Sept. 11.