Landlords not providing recycling

Submitted by babyb3ans t3_10smmu1 in providence

I live in an apartment owned by a big Providence real estate company, and management is changing their trash pick-up contractor. Unfortunately, this new waste management service doesn't cover recycling, and so the company is choosing not to give their many tenants a recycling option. I believe it's illegal in Rhode Island not to recycle, and, beside that, I feel bad tossing recyclables in a dumpster. I don't have a car and can't drive to a recycling center, and I know many other tenants that lease through the same company are students who also lack this option. Is there a way my building could request a bin through the city?

Thanks for any advice.

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Comments

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Status_Silver_5114 t1_j7293gl wrote

I’d ask via the 311 app about this actually. See if they can help.

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AuditorFodder t1_j72e3h0 wrote

It’s mandatory for citizens to recycle, it’s not mandatory for landlords to provide curbside service. Several of the rural towns in the state don’t even provide curbside trash service and it’s on the individual to contract themselves or go drop off at the town transfer station.

The city contracts with WM for any bldg with six or fewer units but the big apartment complexes are on their own as they operate on a scale that would necessitate a dumpster instead of the 96gal cans that go in front of people’s houses. Dumpsters and cans need different trucks and the city doesn’t contract for any of those.

If you’re a student, does your school recycle? I’d say probably just dump a small bag every day on your way to class.

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babyb3ans OP t1_j72eyqj wrote

I'm not a student, no. There aren't any easily accessible recycling dumpsters particularly walkable from where we live either.

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daymanahhhahhhhhh t1_j728e6f wrote

It’s legal for them to just provide you with no recycling bins. I don’t see how you would have any recourse.

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babyb3ans OP t1_j728kyc wrote

Ah, so the responsibility is on us tenants? That's rough. 😓 Thank you though.

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PipeLayer2016 t1_j72pjir wrote

My apartment has separate bins for garbage and recycling, but they are dumped into the same bin in the same truck when picked up. Management has "assured" me that they are picked through and sorted at the disposal facility. Not that I trust management or any waste management company.

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Proof-Variation7005 t1_j735rs1 wrote

i have some terrible news about how recycling works in practice in the world....

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PipeLayer2016 t1_j7389p6 wrote

Yeah. No shit. Did you somehow not read the pessimism in my comment?

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Proof-Variation7005 t1_j73w2hf wrote

I'm more talking about the "ideal" where there's different trucks and everything is working ideally. I think like 90+ percent of stuff that gets recycled just ends up in a landfill eventually.

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brick1972 t1_j735o5u wrote

You can feel both better and much much worse knowing that most of your recycling just goes into a different landfill, not actually recycled - Unless you use a lot of paper, glass and metal, they are better about that than plastic.

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purplepenny23 t1_j735u7u wrote

Where are you guys getting “it’s illegal not to provide recycling?” I worked in Property Management and Housing in RI from 2016-2022 and this is simply not true…

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WordenPond t1_j73lzsa wrote

Don't we have single stream here?

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PipeLayer2016 t1_j73vy5y wrote

Allegedly we do. Though knowing how things work in RI, I won't believe it until I see it not buried under the polluted dirt from the 6-10 connector

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Budget-Celebration-1 t1_j74rqsv wrote

What actually gets recycled anyway.

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Icy-Memory-5575 t1_j74igs1 wrote

They don’t have to recycle and neither do you. I used to work in the projects and there were large dumpsters that took everything. Not sure if it got separated when it got to the dump or how it was setup but it isn’t illegal

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radioflea t1_j74wjvs wrote

Op try the nextdoor app you may just have a nearby neighbor, who doesn’t mind if you place recyclables in there bin.

Maybe you can work out a deal if you share the bin then perhaps you help put the bins out to the curb every week.

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Alternative-Bat-8453 t1_j75agvx wrote

People do can trade in for extra money, maybe you can connect with some one and at least set aside some recyclables for them.

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Tbear369 t1_j72dje0 wrote

Check with RI resource recovery. Landlords are required to provide recycling

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daymanahhhahhhhhh t1_j72evci wrote

I don’t think they are. If you look at any of the bigger rental units in RI, they all have one giant dumpster.

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PipeLayer2016 t1_j72q1d4 wrote

Supposedly WM sorts through the trash to pull out the recycling

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daymanahhhahhhhhh t1_j72qixd wrote

For trash that’s in dumpsters that are picked up by private companies? That doesn’t sound right to me.

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PipeLayer2016 t1_j7393ax wrote

Not uncommon for garbage to be sorted for recycling in some municipalities, but I'd be shocked if Fat Tony from Waste Management in New England did anything of the sort, unless they could make a buck by shipping it to a third world country to cover a pile of stole catalytic converters

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waninggib t1_j73atd1 wrote

I live in a 16 unit building and my landlord assures me the company he contracts with sorts the trash. I was concerned about everything being thrown in one dumpster as well.

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JasonDJ t1_j738v97 wrote

I feel like that's some feel-good green-wash nonsense.

4% of the state population is subscribed to this subreddit. Surely someone most know someone who works at WM.

0

PipeLayer2016 t1_j73a2pc wrote

Man people are dense online. Again for the people in the back, "SUPPOSEDLY!"

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Tbear369 t1_j72ua0b wrote

That's actually against the law.. large complexes are required to provide recycling

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WetNetBet t1_j72krn7 wrote

Recycle by repurposing your recyclables!

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