Trash & Recycling in Rhode Island (2026)
37 rules on the books across Rhode Island, 4 cities and counties. Select a rule to read the full details.
Severity: Few Restrictions · Light Restrictions · Some Restrictions · Significant Restrictions · Heavy Restrictions
Pickup Rules & Schedules
Trash and recycling collection days, what time to put bins out, and rules about sorting materials for curbside pickup.
Cranston
Some RestrictionsCranston lets you put rubbish out no earlier than noon the day before collection and requires it at the curb by 6:15…
Read full rule →Pawtucket
Some RestrictionsPawtucket's curbside collection rules under City Code § 347-14 require trash in City-issued carts only, cardboard…
Read full rule →Providence
Some RestrictionsProvidence sets exact windows for curbside trash: no early set-out before 4 p.m. the day before collection, and…
Read full rule →Bin Placement Rules
Where to position trash and recycling carts, when they may go to the curb and must come back, and the screening or enclosure rules for where bins live between pickups.
Cranston
Some RestrictionsCranston requires dumpsters and trash receptacles at restaurants, stores, apartment buildings, and other commercial or…
Read full rule →Pawtucket
Some RestrictionsPawtucket requires garbage receptacles to be covered, rodentproof and screened from street view, and residential carts…
Read full rule →Providence
Some RestrictionsProvidence bans curbside trash containers before 4 p.m. the day before pickup and requires removal by midnight of…
Read full rule →Warwick
Some RestrictionsWarwick requires covered garbage and rubbish containers set no closer than five feet to any lot line, kept out of the…
Read full rule →Bulk Item Disposal
How to dispose of large items like furniture, appliances, and mattresses, including scheduled pickups and drop-off locations.
Rhode Island: statewide
StatewideSome RestrictionsRhode Island prohibits disposal of designated bulky and hazardous items in regular trash statewide. Mattresses…
Read full rule →Providence
Significant RestrictionsProvidence bans dumping heavy debris and large items, over one cubic yard, anywhere but a licensed solid waste…
Read full rule →Cranston
Some RestrictionsCranston picks up bulky items free twice a year, March and September, capped at three items per pickup and by…
Read full rule →Pawtucket
Some RestrictionsPawtucket residents cannot set bulky items like furniture, mattresses or box springs at the curb without first…
Read full rule →Warwick
Some RestrictionsWarwick caps special heavy trash pickups at two per address every 12 months for non-owner-occupied residences, with…
Read full rule →Recycling Requirements
Mandatory recycling rules including which materials must be separated, contamination penalties, and composting requirements.
Rhode Island: statewide
StatewideSome RestrictionsRhode Island requires statewide source separation of recyclables under RIGL 23-18.9. Residents and businesses must…
Read full rule →Cranston
Some RestrictionsCranston runs a mandatory curbside recycling program under Chapter 8.32, requiring residents to source-separate…
Read full rule →Pawtucket
Some RestrictionsPawtucket property owners must separate recyclable materials from trash and set them out for curbside collection under…
Read full rule →Providence
Some RestrictionsProvidence requires households to sort recyclables into the state-provided bin and bars dumping them anywhere else…
Read full rule →Warwick
Some RestrictionsWarwick requires every property owner or occupier to separate recyclable glass, tin, aluminum, newspaper, plastic and…
Read full rule →Holiday Pickup Schedule
How collection days shift around major holidays, where to verify the current schedule, and rules for putting bins out around shifted pickup dates.
Illegal Dumping
Penalties and enforcement for dumping trash, debris, or hazardous materials on private or public property without authorization.
Cranston
Heavy RestrictionsDumping waste or debris on any public street or highway, or within 300 feet of one, is unlawful in Cranston, punishable…
Read full rule →Pawtucket
Heavy RestrictionsDumping heavy debris anywhere in Pawtucket other than a state-licensed solid waste facility or a scheduled Department…
Read full rule →Providence
Heavy RestrictionsDumping over one cubic yard of litter anywhere but a licensed solid waste facility is banned citywide, with fines from…
Read full rule →Warwick
Heavy RestrictionsWarwick bans dumping any refuse, rubbish, waste, glass, tin cans, garbage or trash on public or private property except…
Read full rule →Yard Waste Collection
Rules for separating grass clippings, leaves, branches, and other yard waste from regular trash, including pickup days and bag/bin requirements.
Cranston
Some RestrictionsCranston collects leaves and yard waste curbside once a week, April 1 through December 15, in approved biodegradable…
Read full rule →Pawtucket
Some RestrictionsPawtucket collects grass, leaves and small tree limbs on your regular trash day from April through December, separate…
Read full rule →Providence
Some RestrictionsProvidence requires leaf and yard debris to be set out curbside in approved containers, separate from trash and…
Read full rule →Warwick
Some RestrictionsWarwick runs a mandatory source-separation program for leaf, yard waste and brush under the public works department's…
Read full rule →Dumpster Rules
Permits and placement rules for residential or construction dumpsters, including how long they can stay and ROW obstruction limits.
Warwick
Heavy RestrictionsWarwick's zoning ordinance bans all commercial trash receptacles and dumpsters from single-family residential zoning…
Read full rule →Cranston
Some RestrictionsCranston requires commercial dumpsters to be covered, screened from the street, serviced only 7:00 a.m. to 10:00 p.m…
Read full rule →Pawtucket
Some RestrictionsCommercial dumpsters in Pawtucket must be covered, labeled with the hauler's contact information, and screened from…
Read full rule →Providence
Some RestrictionsProvidence requires a city permit before any commercial dumpster is placed on public or private property, sets size and…
Read full rule →Collection Schedule
Day-of-week pickup schedules by neighborhood, set-out and take-back time windows, and where to find your specific block's schedule.
Cranston
Some RestrictionsCranston runs a mandatory recycling program with once-a-week curbside pickup of recyclables on the same day as trash…
Read full rule →Pawtucket
Some RestrictionsThe City of Pawtucket collects household refuse weekly from residential structures with six or fewer units, public…
Read full rule →Providence
Some RestrictionsProvidence picks up curbside household trash, garbage and recyclables Monday through Friday only, with collection…
Read full rule →Warwick
Some RestrictionsWarwick's department of public works runs mandatory curbside trash collection for residential dwellings on a set…
Read full rule →Recycling Rules
Which items can and cannot go in residential single-stream recycling bins, contamination penalties, and rules for hazardous-waste drop-off.
Cranston
Some RestrictionsCranston mandates curbside source-separated recycling for every household, collected weekly on trash day. Under the no…
Read full rule →Pawtucket
Some RestrictionsPawtucket requires most homes to use the city's own recycling cart, with nothing left outside it, under City Code §…
Read full rule →Providence
Some RestrictionsProvidence Code § 12-61.2 makes the owner or occupant of any premises or dwelling unit where recyclables accumulate…
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