FARGO (AP) - A company plans to survey apartment dwellers in Fargo-Moorhead and West Fargo in February to gauge interest in onsite recycling.

The survey also will identify barriers to recycling, MinnKota Recycling sales manager Mary Aldrich said.

All three cities have curbside recycling programs for residents of single-family homes, but most of those living in multifamily units have to bring their recyclables to drop-off sites.

A 2006 census estimates that 51 percent of Fargo's 45,964 housing units were in buildings that had three or more housing units.

"That's our No. 1 focus … we're looking at that large population," Aldrich said.

Multifamily housing presents several obstacles to recycling, Aldrich said. Tenants may not have enough space to store recyclables, apartment owners may not want to pay the cost and apartment managers may not want to oversee recycling in their buildings.

But Aldrich said she often receives requests from apartment tenants who want recycling options in their buildings.

MinnKota estimates the program would cost up to $3 per month per unit, which apartment owners would have to absorb or add into rental rates.

Ken's Sanitation & Recycling collects newsprint and cardboard for recycling at some Fargo apartments, but not glass, plastic or metal, office manager Julie Gillette said.

Gillette said she doesn't know if an apartment recycling program would work, because people throwing trash into recycling bins could be a problem.

But "If people don't mind paying the extra money, I think it's a good idea," she said.