Providence, RI Trash & Recycling: Collection Schedule (2026)
Key Facts
- Collection days
- Monday through Friday only
- Collection hours
- 7:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m.
- Holiday shift
- Pickup moves one day later
- Early set-out limit
- Not before 4:00 p.m. prior day
- Container removal deadline
- By midnight of pickup day
Summary
Providence picks up curbside household trash, garbage and recyclables Monday through Friday only, with collection required to run between 7:00 a.m. and 5:00 p.m. on each address's designated day.
Such regular weekly removals and pickups by the department of public works or any private entity under contract with the city shall be carried out only on the days of Monday, Tuesday, Wednesday, Thursday and Friday of each week. When a holiday falls on the normally scheduled collection day for a given street or neighborhood, collection for that street or neighborhood shall occur on the following day. Each normally scheduled collection day thereafter in that week shall be postponed by one (1) day.(c)Collection of household rubbish, garbage and recyclables by the department of public works or any private entity under contract with the city shall begin no earlier than 7:00 a.m. and shall be completed by 5:00 p.m. of the designated pickup day unless alternate collection times are authorized by contract as ratified by the city council.
Official source re-checked September 7, 2026: no newer edition of the code had been published (publisher’s edition: Code of Ordinances: Supplement 7).
Full Breakdown
City Code § 12-64 limits regular weekly curbside pickup of household rubbish, garbage and recyclables to Monday-Friday; when a holiday lands on a street's normal collection day, that pickup and every remaining pickup that week slides one day later. Collection by the department of public works or its contracted hauler must start no earlier than 7:00 a.m. and finish by 5:00 p.m. on the designated day unless the city council ratifies alternate hours by contract. Section 12-63 separately bars setting containers out before 4:00 p.m. the day before pickup and requires removal from the public way by midnight of collection day.
Violations & Fines
Director of public works enforces § 12-64(c) with fines up to $500 per violation; early set-out or containers left past midnight under § 12-63 draws a warning, then $25/$50/$100 escalating fines, with 4+ violations in a year making the owner a chronic violator summoned to municipal court.
Frequently Asked Questions
Is trash ever collected in Providence on weekends?
What happens to my pickup day after a holiday?
How early can I put my trash out?
Sources & Official References
Other rules in Providence
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Collection Schedule in Nearby Cities
How other cities in this county handle collection schedule.