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NORTH ATTLEBORO - The sack race is a traditional summer field day event. But there's a new game in town this summer.

It's the bag run. The freestyle event features some residents running to local stores to snatch up trash bags for the Pay As You Throw program before the prices go up at the end of this week.

"We sold out over the weekend," said a manager at the Shaw's on Toner Boulevard. And they won't have any more until they get the next delivery from the town, which is expected later this week when the new prices are in effect. The price of small bags is going up from 70 cents to $1; large bags, from $1 to $1.50.

Another employee at the store said she had received calls from residents asking about the bags, as well as in-store requests.

Other stores that typically carry the bags, such as Benny's in North Attleboro, reported a slight increase in sales of the bags over the weekend, after selectmen voted to approve a new trash and recycling contract with trash hauler Waste Management, which because of rising costs over the past decade, and the town's decision in the past to dip into its dwindling reserves to offset the fee, will result in the annual trash fee more than doubling, from $115 to $240 this year. The cost increase is retroactive to July 1, the start of the fiscal year, said Michele Bernier, the town's solid waste director.

It hasn't exactly been a field day for her. She's in the process of making the price adjustments in the program and at the convenience center in an effort to simply cover the higher costs of those services which is already in effect.

Bernier said Tuesday that the town had basically limited production, and tried to run down the remaining stock of bags, shutting off vendors before the end of the fiscal year. "Whatever inventory they had, if it's gone, it's gone," she said, adding that bags are expected to be resupplied later this week. There are no changes in the bags, they will just cost more.

"I'm implementing the new prices as we speak," she said.

It is the first time the bag prices have gone up, said Bernier, noting they still cost less than gas, milk or eggs, all of which have gone up. "It's all relative."

She said the new price of the bags was set with the anticipation that they will not have to be increased again for another five years.

Bernier said the increased cost of the trash disposal and recycling program, which breaks down to about $4.60 a week to have two trucks and three men responding to each individual taxpayers' house for pickup, is comparable to what a person can spend in just one trip to Dunkin' Donuts for a bagel and coffee.

As for the office in town hall, staff there have not seen any more than the usual number of people picking up bags. Trash bills reflecting the new rate will go out on Aug. 1, retroactive to July 1, Bernier said.

In the meantime, fees are being raised at the transfer station which she said is currently "a losing proposition" because even the increased fees don't foot the whole bill for the operation.

The tipping fees are only paying for 50 percent of the operation - the cost to rid of the items dropped off there, Bernier said. Labor, electricity and other related costs are paid through the annual fees for permits to use the facility. SUSAN LaHOUD can be reached at 508-236-0398 or at slahoud@thesunchronicle.com.