Mayor Smiley: New Garbage Carts Rolling out for Providence Residents

Finally, most of our carts are more than 10-years old and at the end of their useful lives. These carts require frequent repairs or replacement, which diverts City staff time away from other important priorities.

Building more effective recycling practices requires both investing in improved infrastructure and providing residents with education about recycling. Over the coming months, we will me ramping up public education efforts across Providence, with an emphasis on neighborhoods with low recycling rates, to help neighbors navigate what can be a confusing system. You can help too by only placing recyclable materials in your cart, including plastic bottles and containers, metal cans, glass bottles and jars, paper and cardboard. If you’re not sure if an item is recyclable, it’s better to just throw it in the trash than risk contaminating your recycling cart.

This initiative showcases my administration’s broader commitment to improving quality-of-life for our neighbors by enhancing city services and promoting environmental stewardship. Transitioning to new carts will assist in reducing recycling contamination rates, streamline waste collection, and support our City’s long-term sustainability goals.

Thank you for being part of our community.

Sincerely,