City of East Providence
Mayor Roberto L. DaSilva
PRESS RELEASE
Sept. 5, 2023
CONTACT:
Patricia Resende
Office of the Mayor
Tel: 401-529-3207
E-mail:presende@eastprovidenceri.gov
City of East Providence awarded $33K recycling improvement grant
EAST PROVIDENCE, RI – The City of East Providence has been awarded a $33,232 grant by
the Rhode Island Resource Recovery Corporation (RIRRC) to purchase the recycling portion of
eight Bigbelly double station kiosks for East Providence’s recreation facilities.
The smart waste and recycling system has gained a global following and represents the next
generation of waste collection in urban and rural environments. The trash and recycle station
combines one smart, solar-powered, compacting waste station along with a standard capacity
station. Both units are equipped with sensors that monitor and report on fullness levels, along
with various alerts such as the door has been left open or if the hopper has jammed. The double
Station harvests solar power to compact waste and communicate its real-time status. The
enclosed hoppers ensure total waste containment.
“I want to acknowledge and thank our Public Works Program Coordinator Donna McMahon for
her commitment to recycling in our city and work on this grant,” Mayor Bob DaSilva said. “It is
because of people like her and others in city government that we are able to move the needle on
proper recycling.”
“The city continues to impress Resource Recovery with their dedication to recycling right,”
RIRRC Executive Director Joe Reposa said. “We are thrilled to support this grant to increase
public space recycling and promote recycling right with the use of Rhode Island’s standardized
mixed recycling labels.”
Because RIRRC's grant awards for public space recycling is for 100 percent of the recycling
portion of the unit, the City's matching funds will provide funding for the trash portion of the
kiosks.
“We are excited to introduce these barrels throughout East Providence to help educate the
community on appropriate and proper recycling and trash disposal,” Dept. of Public Works
Director Dan Borges said. “These barrels will also provide the city with consistent and uniform
recycling throughout our parks and public spaces while helping to reduce wind-blown litter as
well as vehicle fuel consumption with fewer required collections.”
This is not the City’s first grant from RIRRC. Most recently, the East Providence’s grant funds
allowed for the printing of the annual recycling calendar including corresponding advertisements
in the local media, curbside enforcement efforts and containers to expand the drop-off program.
Grant funding allowed the City to increase proper recycling, divert items from the landfills and
ultimately assisted East Providence in maintaining its diversion rate (over the state’s required 50
percent).
