Southampton County government should be commended for saving more than $2.5 million in less than five years by making some not-so-complicated, logical changes to get rid of its residents’ garbage.

Prior to the changes in July 2006, the county’s garbage collection sites were open 365 days a week, 24 hours a day.

In an attempt to reduce the amount of garbage the county sends to the Suffolk landfill operated by Southeastern Public Service Authority, it fenced in these dumpsites and hired attendants to oversee activity when open three days a week.

The changes cut the county’s garbage tonnage in half and saved $3.75 million in fees to the landfill. The savings came at a cost of more than $1.25 million for the upgrades at waste disposal sites and paying employees to man them.

The county took one more step.

It had always sent all of its garbage to the SPSA landfill but learned seven months ago the county’s contract requires that it send only 95 percent of its waste to that landfill, which as of Jan. 1, will be charging $145 a ton, down from $150 a ton.

The county began delivering the remaining 5 percent of its garbage to a privately owned landfill in Waverly, which charges $31 a ton.

So hats off to the government folks in Southampton County for being creative and saving residents some money.