You put stuff out on the curb, and where does it go?  Away. The thing is, “away” is a real place...we are away!  We'd love to see every Rhode Islander take a tour of Resource Recovery. It is an eye opening experience that leaves visitors asking what they can do at home, school, and work, to extend the life of the landfill. If you or your group can’t make the trip to Johnston, we’ve got the next best thing—this 30-minute virtual tour of our facility.  You’ll get an inside look at our Materials Recycling Facility, Residential Recycling Area (formerly known as the Small Vehicle Area), Eco-Depot, Leaf & Yard Debris Composting Operation, and the Central Landfill.  You can also view each individual segment below, and on our YouTube Channel.

Materials Recycling Facility (for bin/cart recyclables)

Ever wonder what happens to your recycling when it leaves the curb? In this video you’ll get an inside look at RI’s Materials Recycling Facility, or the “MRF” for short. All of RI’s cities and towns bring their mixed recyclables to the MRF, and their journey begins on the tip floor…

Residential Recycling Area (for special/bulky item drop-off)

*Please note that as of April of 2024, the Residential Recycling Area (formerly known as the Small Vehicle Area) moved to 3 Shun Pike. The virtual tour shows the previous location.

Ever wonder if you can recycle more than what goes in your bin? In this video you’ll learn about special recycling programs at Resource Recovery, and around the state. From time to time, everyone is faced with disposing of something while feeling unsure if they can recycle it or not…

Eco-Depot (for household hazardous waste)

Ever wonder what to do with a substance labeled with words like “flammable,” “combustible,” “toxic,” or “poison”? In this video you’ll get an inside look at RI’s Eco-Depot collection program for household hazardous waste. Substances such as oil-based paint, rechargeable batteries, poisons, pesticides, fertilizers, propane tanks, cleaning chemicals, and mercury should never be poured down the drain or disposed of in the trash…

Composting Operation (for leaf & yard debris)

Ever wonder what happens to your leaf and yard debris when it leaves the curb? In this video we’ll explore the Leaf & Yard Debris Composting Operation at Resource Recovery. Many of Rhode Island’s cities and towns and private landscapers bring leaf and yard debris to our facility in Johnston…

Central Landfill (for trash)

Ever wonder what happens to your trash when it leaves the curb? In this video you’ll get an inside look at Rhode Island’s Central Landfill. Sanitary landfills, like Rhode Island’s, are environmental engineering structures where trash is buried in such a way, that it has little contact with the surrounding environment…