Bulky & Tricky Item Disposal

WHAT IS A BULKY ITEM?

‘Bulky items’ refer to furniture, large appliances, and other large items that will not fit in your cart. Furniture includes tables, chairs, bureaus, bedside stands, shelves, and other common household furniture. Large appliances include refrigerators, stoves, washer-dryers, water heaters, and air conditioners. 

HOW DO I GET RID OF BULKY WASTE OR OTHER TRICKY ITEMS? 

Residents who receive curbside pickup (buildings of 6 or fewer units) can have large large, bulky items picked up for free, except mattresses, by filling out this online form or calling Waste Management at 1-800-972-4545. Please do not leave items at the curb until the night before your scheduled pickup. Only properties receiving residential trash and recycling pick-up service from the City can schedule bulky waste pickup through Waste Management. 

For additional support, please reach out to the Mayor’s Center for City Services at 401-421-2489 or call 3-1-1. 

WHAT IF I LIVE IN A BUILDING WITH MORE THAN 6 UNITS?

Please contact your property owner or property manager to make the appropriate arrangements. Buildings with more than 6 living units are not eligible for free bulky waste removal through the City.  

HOW MANY ITEMS CAN I HAVE COLLECTED IN ONE DAY?

You may schedule up to 3 items per unit for service.  

HOW DO I GET RID OF A MATTRESSS? 

There are two options for disposal of mattresses and box springs in Providence.  

    • DROP OFF: The Department of Public Works at 700 Allens Avenue is currently accepting Providence residents’ unbagged mattresses and box springs on Saturdays from 7am-12:45pm. 2 items will be accepted with a valid Providence ID.

    • PICK UP: Curbside pickup service is available through Waste Management for a fee. Fill out the online form or call 1-800-972-4545 (M-F, 8AM-5PM) to make the arrangements. Payment can be made by check, debit card, or credit card. The mattress or box spring must be clean and bagged in a clear mattress bag sealed on both ends for collection. Mattress bags can be purchased at hardware stores and home centers. The Environmental Division sells Mattress bags for WM pickups at DPW’s Headquarters at 75 Chapman Street. We are happy to offer this at a competitive price compared to retailers. Mattresses or box springs that are damaged, dirty, frozen, infested, unbagged, or wet will not be collected.  

IF SOMEONE DUMPS A COUCH OR OTHER ITEM OUTSIDE ON THE CURB, CAN I CALL AND REPORT IT FOR COLLECTION? 

Yes. 

WHERE DO I PLACE THE BULKY ITEMS AND LARGE APPLIANCES FOR COLLECTION? 

Place your items at the curb in front of your residence. Place your items so as to allow for adequate sidewalk space. 

HOW MUCH WILL IT COST TO HAVE BULKY ITEMS COLLECTED? 

There are no additional fees for this service, except mattresses. 

AT WHAT TIME DO I PLACE THE BULKY ITEMS OUT FOR COLLECTION? 

Items should be placed at the curb no earlier than 4 PM the evening before collection and no later than 4 AM the day of collection. 

CAN THE CITY COME INTO MY APARTMENT OR PROPERTY – OR INTO MY YARD – TO REMOVE BULKY ITEMS AND APPLIANCES? 

No. The items must be placed at the curb. 

CLOTHING AND TEXTILES

Small textiles that cannot be donated may be placed in your trash cart. Never put clothing or textiles in your recycling cart. Textiles placed in recycling carts may contaminate recycling and cause the load to be rejected from the recycling facility. They also pose a particular danger to the safety of recycling facility workers, as textiles can get tangled in the equipment and cause facility shutdowns.  

When possible, donate gently used clothing and textiles. Please make sure clothes, sheets, towels, and other textiles are clean, dry, and odorless. Not sure where to donate items? Check out Rhode Island Resource Recovery’s list of donation locations.

HAZARDOUS WASTE

Drop off hazardous waste or toxic and flammable materials like mercury devices, oil, and pesticides for free at one of RIRRC’s eco-depot events. For more information and to schedule your drop-off, call 401-942-1430 x3241 or visit www.ecodepotri.org. 

Click here for a full list of hazardous materials you can dispose of at an eco-depot event. These events are free, but appointments are required.

PAINT, TIRES AND OTHER ITEMS

No. These are considered hazardous materials. Drop off hazardous waste or toxic and flammable materials like mercury devices, oil, and pesticides for free at one of RIRRC’s eco-depot events. For more information and to schedule your drop-off, call 401-942-1430 x3241 or visit www.ecodepotri.org.  

Click here for a full list of hazardous materials you can dispose of at an eco-depot event. These events are free, but appointments are required. 

ELECTRONIC WASTE

Schedule a free collection with Waste Management by using this form or calling (800) 972-4545, or drop off for free at DPW (behind 700 Allens Ave) any Saturday from 7:00 a.m. – 12:45 p.m.

For more information about e-waste and what we can collect, click here. 

YARD WASTE

Yard waste is collected every year from mid-April through December. Please place yard debris in brown paper debris bags OR in your own container marked as yard debris. Waste Management will empty and leave your container on the curb. NEVER put yard waste in plastic bags and and NEVER put yard debris in your recycling cart.​ Get a FREE yard debris sticker to label your container at DPW headquarters at 75 Chapman Street (8:00am-4:00pm) or the Mayor’s Center for City Services at City Hall on 25 Dorrance Street (8:30am-4:30pm).  

CHRISTMAS TREES

Christmas tree pickup will start the first Monday of January and continue for three weeks.  

PLASTIC BAGS AND WRAP​

Plastic bags and plastic wrap can NOT be recycled in your curbside cart and may contaminate the entire recycling cart. However, plastic bags and wrap CAN be brought to local retail or grocery stores to be recycled.​ Find a location near you to recycle plastic bags. 

SHREDDED PAPER

Do NOT put shredded paper in your recycling cart. It cannot be recycled. Put paper shreds in your compost or, if not an option, please dispose of shredded paper in your regular trash. 

RECHARGEABLE BATTERIES

Rechargeable batteries should NEVER be placed in your trash OR recycling cart as they cannot be recycled. Examples of rechargeable batteries include car batteries or phone or laptop batteries. These items can be disposed of at an Eco-Depot event. Find dates of Eco-Depots here. Other items accepted for disposal at Eco-Depots include antifreeze, compact fluorescent light (CFL) bulbs, fluorescent light tubes, motor oil, motor oil filters, paint, and sharps/needles.   

CONSTRUCTION MATERIALS

Renters and homeowners may place small amounts of construction material from household projects (drywall, small lumber scraps) can be placed in TRASH carts. AS always, the lid of the trash cart must be able to close. NEVER put construction materials in recycling carts. Contractors may not use curbside trash carts to dispose of construction materials.  

SMALL APPLIANCES

Small appliances, such as toasters or coffee makers, that are in working condition can be donated (Savers, Goodwill, Facebook Marketplace, Fort Thunder, etc.). Broken appliances can be thrown away in your curbside trash cart if they are small enough to fit in your trash cart with the lid closed.  

LARGER APPLIANCES

Larger appliances, such as washing machines or dishwashers, that are in working condition can be sold or donated (Facebook Marketplace, Craigslist, etc.). For broken appliances, schedule free curbside pick-up through WM using this online form or calling 1-800-972-4545 at least 48 hours in advance.