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Providence, RI Trash & Recycling: Holiday Pickup Schedule (2026)

Light Restrictions
Compiled from the official code textEditor Martyn O'NeillLast verified September 2026

Key Facts

Shift rule
Collection moves 1 day later per holiday
Cascade effect
Rest of week's pickups also slide 1 day
Normal hours
7:00 a.m.–5:00 p.m.
Governing section
City Code § 12-64(b)

Summary

When a holiday lands on your normal collection day, Providence pushes that pickup and every remaining pickup that week back by one 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.

View official code

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

Under City Code § 12-64(b), the Department of Public Works runs household rubbish, garbage, and recyclables collection only Monday through Friday. If a holiday falls on a street or neighborhood's regular collection day, that pickup slides to the following day, and every other scheduled collection day for that area is likewise postponed by one day for the rest of the week. Collection otherwise runs 7:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m. under § 12-64(c).

Violations & Fines

Missed or delayed collection tied to a holiday shift is not itself a fineable resident violation, but a household that sets out containers on the wrong (pre-shift) day risks the early-placement and late-removal penalties in § 12-63: up to $1,500 cumulatively per dwelling per year.

Frequently Asked Questions

Does a holiday cancel my trash pickup entirely?
No. Providence delays that day's collection by one day rather than skipping it, per § 12-64(b).
If my pickup is Wednesday and Monday is a holiday, does only Wednesday move?
No: every remaining scheduled day that week, not just the day after the holiday, is postponed one day under § 12-64(b).

Sources & Official References

Other rules in Providence

Collection ScheduleSome RestrictionsBulk Item DisposalSignificant RestrictionsRecycling RulesSome RestrictionsParking Rules: Street Parking LimitsSome RestrictionsNoise Ordinances: Quiet HoursSome RestrictionsNoise Ordinances: Construction HoursSome RestrictionsYard Waste CollectionSome RestrictionsPickup Rules & SchedulesSome RestrictionsDumpster RulesSome RestrictionsIllegal DumpingHeavy RestrictionsRecycling RequirementsSome RestrictionsBin Placement RulesSome RestrictionsNoise Ordinances: Decibel LimitsSome RestrictionsNoise Ordinances: Barking DogsSome RestrictionsParking Rules: Commercial & Oversized VehiclesSignificant Restrictions

All Providence rules

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