Pawtucket, RI Trash & Recycling: Collection Schedule (2026)
Key Facts
- Minimum frequency
- Once per week
- Eligible structures
- 6 or fewer dwelling units
- Schedule authority
- Director of Public Works
- Notice of changes
- City website and social media
- Governing sections
- City Code §§ 347-9, 347-11, 347-12
Summary
The City of Pawtucket collects household refuse weekly from residential structures with six or fewer units, public schools and municipal buildings under City Code §§ 347-9 and 347-11. The Director of Public Works sets districts, routes and collection days and must post schedule changes on the City website and social media, per § 347-12.
§ 347-9. Eligibility of household refuse collection by Department of Public Works. ... The following uses or structures shall be eligible for household refuse collection by the City of Pawtucket: A. Residential structures with six or less dwelling units. B. Public schools. C. Structures used for municipal offices or services. § 347-1 ... 1. Frequency of collection. ... Refuse shall be collected at least once a week from all commercial and residential structures in the City of Pawtucket, or as many times as necessary in order to eliminate potential health hazards... § 347-12. ...The Director of Public Works shall divide the City into districts for the collection of refuse combustibles and shall establish routes, days and times for the collection in each such district.
Full Breakdown
" Anything larger, seven units or more, is reclassified as a commercial establishment under § 347-10 and must arrange private hauling instead. For everything the City does collect, § 347-11 sets the baseline frequency: "Refuse shall be collected at least once a week from all commercial and residential structures in the City of Pawtucket, or as many times as necessary in order to eliminate potential health hazards," with the Director of Public Works or the Director of Zoning and Code Enforcement empowered to add pickups where needed.
" The Director's rulemaking power to set detailed collection rules on top of this schedule comes from § 347-13, most recently exercised through the March 2026 update, Ch. No. 3326.
Violations & Fines
Chapter 347 does not fine residents simply for a missed pickup; noncompliance with the collection rules the Director sets under §§ 347-13 and 347-14, such as improper set-out timing or unauthorized materials, is what triggers penalties, detailed separately under those sections.
Frequently Asked Questions
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Which properties get municipal trash pickup in Pawtucket?
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Sources & Official References
Other rules in Pawtucket
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Collection Schedule in Nearby Cities
How other cities in this county handle collection schedule.