When I first moved to Richmond, figuring out how to get rid of my trash was a small adventure. Each state does trash disposal a little bit different, so getting up to speed on Rhode Island and Richmond processes took a little research. However, once you’re up and running, it’s pretty straight-forward.
There are several trash disposal companies that serve Richmond, but for those that want to drop off their own trash, the Transfer Station in Richmond is the easiest way to do it. Rhode Island has a central landfill, so the Transfer Stations in each town provide a way for local residents to dispose of their trash without having to drive to the central landfill in Johnston.
The transfer station is designated for Richmond and Hopkinton residents, so to drop off trash, you’ll need a sticker for your car or a hang tag for your rear-view mirror. The stickers are free, and are available at the Richmond Town Hall. To show that you’re a local resident, you’ll use your vehicle registration, but you can get a temporary pass if you haven’t yet registered your vehicle in Richmond or are leasing a vehicle. In those cases, you’ll need two forms of residency – something official or incoming mail that shows your address.
The Transfer Station is located on 51 Buttonwoods Road, back behind the Stop and Shop and Ocean State Job Lot. They’re open on Tuesday, Wednesday, Saturday, and Sunday from 8 am to 4 pm, but you can check their latest hours here.
They can collect your day-to-day refuse, and larger items as well. Recycling is free, but they do charge tipping fees for non-recyclables, depending on the weight of your trash. There will often be additional fees for larger items or those that require special disposal (like air conditioners). The fee table can be found on the Richmond website. They can only take cash or check.
As you arrive at 51 Buttonwoods Road, the transfer station is through the chainlink fence gate on the left. The main building has a loading dock on the left side, with the vehicle scales on the right. The easiest approach is to head to the loading dock on the left side of the building. Here, they’ll weigh your bagged trash. For large materials and recycling, they often go in their own dumpsters, so they can direct you where to drop your material off. For construction debris or other large trash, they will use the vehicle scale to weigh your car so they can charge you appropriately.
Hazardous material gets treated a little differently. The state of Rhode Island runs a series of Eco-Depot events, rotating in different towns across the state. Check out their website downloads section for the schedule. You can attend one in any town, I frequently pick a weekend that works for my schedule and drive to the location hosting it for my annual disposal of paint, motor oil, and gasoline. Once you have an idea of when and where to catch them, there is a webform to register – this helps the staff control a surge of folks, and makes sure they have the right handling gear on site for what you’re dropping off. Then you load your trunk with everything, drive through their line, and the staff empties your trunk into appropriate bins and you never have to leave your car.
Hopefully this helps you get started, whether you’re getting rid of regular kitchen trash or strange things you dig up during your spring cleaning! The transfer station can be reached at 401-491-9505 with questions!
-- Chris Kona