Holiday Collections
All holidays will result in a one-day delay in rubbish, recycling, and yard waste collections for the remainder of the week.
Household Waste
The City is responsible for the collection and disposal of all refuse generated in the course of daily living from within the household. All material must be in containers. All material must be at the curb by 6 a.m. the day of collection and may not be at the curb before 3 p.m. the day prior to collection. The City is not responsible for collection of construction, demolition or remodeling materials or debris. To report a missed collection or additional information, please call 401 435-7701.
Automated trash collection program
The City of East Providence Dept. of Public Works is pleased to announce the rollout of an automated trash collection program. The program, which utilizes 95-gallon trash carts, began August 3, 2020.
Residents now place their new automated trash carts out for pick up. Residents are asked to place their trash carts curbside any time after 3 p.m. on the evening before their regularly scheduled trash day. All trash bags must be placed in the cart provided to residents. Any items placed outside of the trash cart will NOT be collected. Failure to comply will result in a fine of $50 per day. Trash carts should be placed at the curb with wheels and handle toward the curb or home and approximately three feet apart from yard waste barrels and recycling carts.
Residents requiring an additional trash cart may purchase a 65-gallon cart by mailing a $80 check made payable to City of East Providence. Please include an address for trash cart drop-off and a contact phone number on the check. Checks may be mailed to City of East Providence, Public Works, Office of Rubbish and Recycling, 145 Taunton Ave. East Providence, RI 02914. Checks may also be placed in the City Hall drop box located on the Grove Avenue side of City Hall. Residents can also pay for trash carts with cash or check at 60 Commercial Way, carts can be delivered or resident can pick up.
Old trash barrels can be repurposed and used for yard waste or brought to the Public Works Complex at 60 Commercial Way to be recycled. Resident with old trash carts similar in size and type to the carts the city delivered can have them inspected and if approved can be labeled with the City seal for use for extra trash.
Furniture and other household items
Residents requiring bulky item pickup must contact the Department of Public Works office of Rubbish & Recycling at 401-435-7701 to schedule a pickup. The items will be collected every Friday but only one bulky item per week, per household, once scheduled items can be placed at the curb after 3 p.m. on Thursday for Friday collection. The deadline to schedule a bulky pickup is Thursday at noon time for Friday's pickup.
Bulky items not scheduled for a pickup set out before 3 p.m. the day before collection or trash piled at the curb may result in a fine of $50 per day.
If usable, please try to recycle old furniture by calling Rhode Island Donation Exchange at 401-831-5511 or donating to local organizations. Rugs and carpeting cut to 4' lengths and rolled and tied can be collected as a bulky item.
Major Appliance Collection
Household appliances: (washers, dryers, refrigerators, freezers, stoves, hot water tanks, air conditioners, gas grills, etc) are collected on the second Saturday of each month. Residents must purchase a $25 recycling sticker (stickers may be purchased at the Public Works office at 60 Commercial Way) by 10 a.m. on the preceding Thursday to schedule a collection. Appliances can be placed at the curb for collection not more than 24 hours in advance. Questions please call 401-435-7710.
Items requiring recycling stickers for collection:
- Stove
- Refrigerator
- Freezer
- Hot Water Tank
- Microwave (built in)
- Swing Set (Dismantled)
- Dishwasher
- Washing Machine
- Clothes Dryer
- Gas Grill
- Exercise Equipment
Other miscellaneous metal item, please call 401-435-7701
Recycling Carts
The City distributed new recycling carts to every East Providence homes in September 2013. Recycling carts are the property of the city and should remain at the property where they were delivered. New homes without recycling carts, residence requiring an extra cart or replacement cart, and elderly or disabled residents with concerns regarding the size of the cart, please contact the office at 435-7710 or 435-7701 during regular business hours. If needed residents can purchase an additional recycling cart he cost for an extra 95 gallon cart is $80.
Yard Debris
Yard Debris is collected on the same day as regular rubbish collection between first week of April through mid December (weather permitting). Check the Recycling Calendar for dates. All leaves, grass and other vegetative material 2" in diameter or less must be placed in approved reusable containers (trash barrels) with "Yard Debris" labels or paper bags that one person can lift into the collection vehicle. There is no charge for Yard Debris labels, they are available at City Hall or the Public Works Complex at 60 Commercial Way. Brush and small branches must be 4' or less and tied in bundles one person can lift into the collection vehicle. The City is not responsible for collection of logs or larger wood waste. Residents may drop off yard debris at the Forbes Street Compost site only on the designated Saturdays in the Spring and Fall as advertised. No commercial materials are accepted at any time.
Construction Material
Residents are responsible for the disposal of all materials associated with household construction, demolition and renovation activities regardless of who is doing the work or when it took place.
Household Hazardous Waste
The City is not permitted to collect or store on site Household Hazardous Materials per RI DEM regulations. To make an appointment for one of RI Resource Recovery’s Eco-Depot collection events for household hazardous waste, visit https://www.rirrc.org/ecodepot or call 942-1430 x3241, for information on the proper disposal of such items or to make an appointment. Events in East Providence are held every August.
Miscellaneous Drop-Off Items
The following items may be dropped off Monday through Friday 7:30 a.m. to 3:30 p.m. at the Department of Public Works complex located at 60 Commercial Way:
- Empty propane tanks, small one-pound size and 20-pound gas grill sized tanks.
- E-Waste - all electronic items including televisions, computer equipment including monitors, VCRs, DVDs, audio equipment, and anything with a plug.
- Auto batteries
- Antifreeze
- Used motor oil
- Cooking oil
- Scrap metals including metal hangers, cookie sheets, pots and pans, chains, file cabinets, microwaves, bikes, poles, bed frames, metal yard furniture and appliances.
- Used books
- Rigid Plastic - this includes old trash barrels, coolers, storage totes, milk crates and lawn furniture.
Paint
PaintCare is a new program in the State of Rhode Island that makes it easier for you to do the right thing with leftover paint. It was created by the American Coatings Association, a membership-based trade association of the paint manufacturing industry, working with state and local government stakeholders. Under RI General Law § 23-24.12 the reuse, recycling, or proper disposal of paint is now funded through fees on each container of architectural paint sold in RI. These fees are $0.35 cents (from a half-pint to smaller than 1 gallon), $0.75 cents (1 gallon) or $1.60 per container (between 1 and 5 gallons).
What to do with leftover paint:
If your cans are still near-full, you may want to first try giving them away. You can post them on the "FREE" section of Craigslist or FreeCycle OR
If you can't give the paint away, use a PaintCare Site Locator to find a drop-off location. Before bringing your paint to any drop-off site, be sure to call to check business hours and to make sure they can accept the types and amount of paint you would like to recycle OR Make an appointment to drop off your paint (both oil-based and water-based) at one of our free Eco-Depot collection events OR
If you only have water-based (non-hazardous paint) like latex, it is still safe for disposal in regular household trash, but needs to be hardened for the safety of workers and equipment. If there isn’t too much paint left, just leave it out with the lid off and it will dry without having to add anything. If there is a significant amount left, you can do this with paint hardener (about $2 at a home improvement store), saw dust, or even kitty litter. Please do not recycle paint containers. Try placing the cans of hardened paint directly in a trash bag, and then in the trash can. If your city/town allows it, and you need to leave them out on the side of the trash, be sure to leave the lids off so you hauler can see they are hardened. You can also try leaving a note, in both English and Spanish, with the cans. Something like:
Paint is hardened. Please discard in the trash.
La pintura está endurecida. Por favor, échela en la basura.
For additional solid waste disposal or recycling information:
Donna McMahon, DPW/Refuse & Recycling Program Coordinator
401-435-7500 EXT 40020 or EXT 40030