Around 10,000 residents in unincorporated Douglas County will have better recycling access through an upcoming pilot program approved Wednesday by the Douglas County Commission.

The project, which will likely begin this fall, will establish three recycling drop-off locations in the county for residents who do not benefit from Lawrence, Eudora or Baldwin City recycling programs, said Eileen Horn, the county’s sustainability coordinator.

The locations will be:

• Stull United Methodist Church, 251 North 1600 Road, Lecompton.

• Wakarusa Valley School, 1104 East 1000 Road, Lawrence.

• Vinland Fairgrounds, 1736 North 700 Road, Vinland.

Previously the Douglas County Public Works Facility, 3755 E. 25th St., in Lawrence was slated to be one of the three drop-off locations, but concerns about residents in the southern part of Douglas County led commissioners to opt for the Vinland Fairgrounds option instead.

Because so many residents of unincorporated Douglas County are underserved with recycling services, the pilot program will be used to gauge countywide demand for the services.

“We’ll get a sense over the next six months with where it is and reassess,” said County Commissioner Jim Flory.

The program will use recycling containers provided by Honey Creek Disposal Inc., but because it is not yet clear how often the containers will need to be emptied, annual costs may range between $6,300 and $18,900, Horn said.