Town Switching to One-Bin Recycling Program This Fall

Leaves aren't the only thing changing this autumn in North Kingstown. The town will begin to roll out new recycling services to align with the state’s one-bin recycling program.

Residents will be parting with their 14-gallon blue and green bins and saying hello to one 96-gallon bin. All recyclables (from paper to cardboard to cans to bottles) will now all go in one bin that will be picked up every other week. The new 96-gallon bins cost $75 whereas their predecessors, the 14-gallon totes, cost $6. Though the town is covering the cost of purchasing one cart for each participating household, residents can purchase additional carts for $75.

Though more than 8,500 of these larger bins are being ordered through the town’s new curbside recycling company (Waste Haulers), the town is ordering a small number of 65-gallon bins for a lower cost. According Public Works Director Phil Bergeron, those who opt for the smaller bins will be responsible for transporting any recyclables to the transfer station that don’t fit in their bins.

"You're going to be holding your recycling for two weeks," said Kim Jones of the Public Works Department. "The bins are easy to use because they have wheels. You can push them, pull them and don't have to worry about carrying them."

The town is urging all residents to test out the 96-gallon bins before deciding to swap for the smaller bins. Swap requests will be handled on a case-by-case basis.

According to Bergeron’s remarks to the North Kingstown Town Council Monday night, the rollout of the new service is behind schedule after the town learned that the production of the bins was backordered. According to Jones, the town is hoping to have the bins distributed to residents by Thanksgiving. If all goes according to plan, North Kingstown will switch over to the biweekly pickup schedule during the first week of December.

Though the delivery of the bins is a few months out, residents can expect to receive direct mailings with informational material about the transition in October. Bins will also be delivered with an informational packet and a calendar of pickup dates. 

According to Bergeron, the bins are not the residents' personal property but "part of the house." Residents will be responsible for any damage to the bins and cannot take them if they move. Only town-issued bins will be be used for pickup – i.e. bins purchased at a local hardware store are not acceptable. 

The move to a new recycling system was due in part to Rhode Island Resource Recovery’s push toward a one-bin, automated system, according to Department of Public Works Director Phil Bergeron. He also adds that the new system will save the town money “in the long run.”

To help make the transition as painless as possible, all eligible households under the program have been set up in the company customer service management system. Residents can now call Waste Haulers customer service department at 401-943-6503 with questions about their recycling pickup or issues with service. (Or visit their website at www.wastehaulers.net.)