Lawmakers in Hartford announced a proposal Friday that would change the way southwestern Connecticut residents recycle.

Lawmakers say instead of residents having to separate their recyclables, the separation would start at the Connecticut Resource Recovery Authority (CRRA) recycling plant. State Rep. Richard Roy, of Milford, is leading an effort to implement something called single-stream recycling. Roy says instead of separating out paper from other recyclables, residents would get one garbage can to throw everything in together.

The CRRA director says the new system will be more convenient and will provide rewards to homeowners based on the amount they recycle.

Meanwhile, lawmakers say the bill would also require recycling bins to be placed wherever trash cans are located in public areas.