Rhode Island Solid Waste Management Plan

Coming Soon!

The Project Management Team includes three key organizations collaborating with Geosyntec who are responsible for ensuring that the Plan is strategic, inclusive, and actionable while addressing the diverse needs of stakeholders across the state.

• RIDSP - The Rhode Island Department of Statewide Planning is responsible for guiding the state’s development through comprehensive planning and coordination. It works to ensure sustainable growth and development by collaborating with various stakeholders, including state, local, and federal agencies, as well as private entities. The department focuses on a wide range of areas, such as transportation, housing, economic development, and environmental protection, to enhance the quality of life for all Rhode Islanders.

• RIRRC -The Rhode Island Resource Recovery Corporation (RIRRC) is a quasi-public agency dedicated to managing the state’s solid waste and recycling programs. RIRRC provides comprehensive services to help Rhode Islanders reduce, reuse, recycle, compost, and properly dispose of waste. By promoting sustainable waste management practices, RIRRC aims to protect the environment and enhance the quality of life for all residents. The corporation operates the Central Landfill and various recycling facilities, ensuring efficient and effective waste management across the state.

• RIDEM - The Rhode Island Department of Environmental Management (DEM) is the chief steward of the state’s natural resources, overseeing the protection and management of Rhode Island’s environment. DEM works to safeguard the state’s air, water, and land through comprehensive environmental policies and programs. The department collaborates with various stakeholders, including government agencies, businesses, and the public, to promote sustainable practices and ensure a healthy environment for current and future generations. DEM’s efforts encompass areas such as conservation, pollution control, and natural resource management.

Public engagement is a cornerstone of the Rhode Island Solid Waste Management Plan development process. In Rhode Island, a state with a diverse population and distinct geographic regions, developing a SWMP must consider the wide range of perspectives, needs, and challenges different groups face. Your contributions will ensure that Rhode Island’s SWMP reflects the needs and aspirations of stakeholders while fostering sustainable and equitable solutions. ​

To ensure meaningful participation, in-person public workshops and virtual listening sessions will be conducted across three phases, designed to maximize accessibility, foster inclusivity, and gather actionable input from diverse stakeholders. Each phase will begin with an in-person public workshop to facilitate interactive, face-to-face engagement, followed by a virtual listening session to broaden participation statewide. Meetings will be held according to the following schedule:​

Virtual Listening Sessions:​

• Meeting 1: Thursday, April 3, 2025 12PM – 2PM, to register please visit: https://us06web.zoom.us/webinar/register/WN_-WzqplhWQ1q8eFhjbE6ETA [us06web.zoom.us]
• Meeting 2: (date, time, tbd)​
• Meeting 3: (date, time, tbd)​

In-Person Workshops:​

• Meeting 1: Wednesday, March 26, 2025, 5PM – 7PM  William Hall Library Auditorium, 1825 Broad St, Cranston, RI 02905, to register, please visit: https://bit.ly/4h3XEuw [bit.ly]

• Meeting 6: (date, time, location, tbd)​

• Meeting 7: (date, time, location, tbd)

Solid Waste 2038 

2015 Solid Waste Characterization Study

Rhode Island Resource Recover Planning Documents 

Rules and Regulations for Solid Waste Management (250-RICR-14—05)

Department of Environmental Management Chapter 140 - Waste and Materials Management

Rhode Island Department of Environmental Management Environmental Justice Policy 

Relish Rhody 2.0

What is Solid Waste?​

According to the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), solid waste is any garbage, refuse, sludge, or other discarded material, including solid, liquid, semi-solid, or contained gaseous material, resulting from industrial, commercial, mining, agricultural operations, and community activities. This definition encompasses a wide range of materials that are discarded or intended to be discarded, whether they are recyclable or not. For more detailed information, you can visit the EPA's criteria for the definition of solid waste. More details can be found here. 

What is the Solid Waste Management Plan?​

Solid Waste Management Plan (SWMP) is a comprehensive waste prevention, recycling, composting, and disposal planning document. This plan provides a guide for an effective sold waste system considering how to prevent, recycle, and manage solid waste in ways that most effectively protect human health and the environment. ​

How will this plan impact residents?​

This SWMP will develop and recommend the most efficient and cost-effective solid waste implementation strategies designed to address the adequate management of the waste stream in Rhode Island for the next 20 years. It will positively impact services available to residents, such as residential convenience centers, trash and recycling pick-up, and food scrap drop-off. Additionally, the plan will include strategies to reduce and divert waste, decrease illegal dumping and litter, manage solid waste processing and disposal facilities, and sustain solid waste operations, thereby improving the sustainability of Rhode Island.​

How is this study funded?​

The US EPA has awarded funding to Rhode Island to support this study through the Solid Waste Infrastructure for Recycling (SWIFR) program. More details can be found here​. The Rhode Island Resource Recovery Corporation also contributed funding toward this plan. 

What is Circular Economy?​

A circular economy is one in which all consumable materials are reused or recycled, ensuring that nothing goes “to waste.”  This model extends the life cycle of a materials through leasing, reusing, repairing, refurbishing, and recycling, thereby promoting minimal waste generation. More information can be found here.

What is a landfill?​

Landfills are well-engineered and managed facilities for the disposal of solid waste. They are located, designed, operated, and monitored to ensure compliance with federal regulations. These landfills are lined disposal sites or waste containment facilities designed to minimize environmental impact. They are typically equipped with protective liners at the bottom and other engineered systems to prevent contaminants (such as liquids and gases) from escaping into the environment, whether into the atmosphere, groundwater, or surface water. More information can be found here .​

What is a Transfer Station?​​

Transfer station temporarily holds municipal solid waste from collection vehicles before reloading it onto larger transport vehicles for disposal. They reduce transportation costs and vehicle trips to distant disposal sites, resulting in efficient solid waste management that benefits communities.​​

What is Composting?​​

Composting is the natural process of recycling organic materials into a soil amendment that can be used to build soil health and provide nutrients to plants. Organic (carbon-based) materials include grass clippings, leaves, yard and tree trimmings, and food scraps. Food scraps and yard waste currently make up 20 to 30 percent of what we throw away. More details can be found here. 

What is Recycling?​​

Recycling is the process of collecting and transforming materials that would otherwise be discarded as trash in a landfill into new, reusable products. Recycling can benefit your community, the economy, and the environment. More details can be found here.

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