What it costs to dump in Rhode Island: 2026 fees
At Rhode Island Resource Recovery's Central Landfill in Johnston, loads cost $115 a ton with a $65 minimum. Town transfer stations price it their own way: $10 per 200 pounds in Bristol, $3 a bag in North Kingstown, a $325 sticker plus bags in Portsmouth.
2026 cost to dump in Rhode Island, town by town
| Where | Small load | Bigger loads | The catch |
|---|---|---|---|
| Central Landfill (Johnston) | $65 minimum | $115 a ton | Johnston residents: a ton free with a permit |
| Bristol | $10 per 200 lbs | $100 a ton, 2-ton yearly cap | $25 permit; residents only |
| North Kingstown | $3 a bag (Town tag) | 15 cents a pound, $15 minimum | Open Tue, Fri and Sat only |
| Richmond (and Hopkinton) | $7 up to 50 lbs | $35 up to 500 lbs | Cash or check only |
| Westerly | Orange bags ($10 a roll) | $145 a ton for junk | Sticker required; visitors $10 a day |
| Portsmouth | $325 sticker + town bags | C&D by pass, $50 extra each | Closed Wednesdays and Sundays |
Rates verified from each town's and Resource Recovery's own published pages, October 2026. Town stations are for residents. Confirm before a big load.
Find a landfill near you
Enter your city or ZIP for the nearest disposal sites across Rhode Island, then open your city's page for its exact hours, fees and what it accepts.
How dumping works in Rhode Island
Rhode Island Resource Recovery runs the Central Landfill and the state's recycling plant on Shun Pike in Johnston, and towns send their trash there. Resource Recovery also limits how much each town can send at a lower rate, which is why some towns cap what residents can bring: Bristol, for example, allows 2 tons per household per year.
Towns cover the cost in different ways. Portsmouth runs its station as an enterprise fund paid for by a $325 sticker and pay-as-you-throw bags; Westerly requires orange bags; North Kingstown sells $3 tags; Bristol and Richmond weigh your load.
Free and nearly free options
- Mattresses: up to three a day free at Resource Recovery, and free for Bristol residents (Portsmouth too, when its container has room).
- TVs and computers from residents are free at Resource Recovery, and Richmond takes e-waste free.
- Appliances without Freon, scrap metal, textiles, books and motor oil are free at Resource Recovery.
- Leaves and grass are free in North Kingstown, and brush and leaves free in Bristol.
The catches that cost people money
- Showing up on the wrong day. North Kingstown opens only Tuesdays, Fridays and Saturdays; Richmond Wednesdays and weekends; Portsmouth is closed Wednesdays and Sundays.
- No sticker or the wrong bags. Westerly charges $145 a ton for trash that isn't in its orange bags, and Portsmouth won't let a vehicle in without a sticker.
- Paying by card in Richmond. It's cash or check only.
- Construction debris in Portsmouth. Sticker holders get four 32-gallon passes; after that it's $50 a container.
What Rhode Island law keeps out of the trash
State law (R.I. Gen. Laws § 23-60-6) says vehicle batteries may only go to a dealer, distributor, manufacturer, Resource Recovery or a licensed recycler, and small lead-acid, nickel-cadmium and mercuric-oxide batteries have been barred from trash since 1994. TVs, computers, monitors, laptops and tablets, along with mercury-added products, are banned from landfill disposal. Tires and appliances aren't banned outright, but Resource Recovery recycles both.