Cities & Towns

Ending litter is important throughout the Ocean State.  The following municipalities have implemented programs that support this endeavor and continue to work towards building a Litter Free Rhode Island.   We also asked why ending litter in their community is important.  

• Central Falls - "We want to make sure our community is free of litter and clutter so our residents can enjoy a beautiful community. "
• Coventry - Having a community that is litter free shows our residents and visitors that we care about the community we live, work, and raise our children in. It is a testimony to the pride and respect we have in Coventry of being a town that is thriving and cares about keeping its roads, sidewalks, parks, and open space safe and free of litter.
• Cranston - "We take a great deal of pride in our city.Our residents deserve a clean,safe and litter free community!"
• East Providence - The City of East Providence has taken the pledge to “Keep Rhody Litter Free” by supporting Governor Daniel McKee’s Litter Free Rhode Island campaign.  As Earth Day approaches we encourage city residents to join us in taking this pledge by visiting litterfree.ri.gov and commit to one of the various community cleanup events taking places throughout the city during the month of April. Let’s all work together to Keep EP Litter Free!!
• Hopkinton - "Our community's natural resources are invaluable.  Litter causes pollution, kills wildlife, facilitates the spread of disease and destroys the scenic landscape in of our community."
• Jamestown - "The planet is our most important resource and it is up to all of us to protect it. We need to preserve the planet for future generations to enjoy. "
• Lincoln - This comes down to a "Quality of Life" issue for our residents, local businesses and visitors to our wonderful town. Litter not only has a negative impact on the aesthetics of our beautiful community, but it also impacts health, safety, and the environment. Lincoln looks forward to working with our Conservation Commision, the State of Rhode Island, and other Stakeholders to put an end to this blight.
• North Smithfield - "
  • 1. Litter can cause physical harm or injury people.
  • 2. Litter can facilitate the spread of disease.
  • 3. Litter pollutes the environment.
  • 4. Litter affects and can kill wildlife.
  • 5. Litter affects aesthetic value and local tourism.
  • 6. Litter increases probability of fires.
  • 7. Litter creates breeding grounds for insects." 
• Narragansett - "Litter damages our environment, demonstrates a lack of respect for our residents and visitors. Ending littering shows that we take pride and are invested in our community. Ending littering teaches youths how to respect others and the environment. "
• New Shoreham - "We are an island with limited recourses.  Our community prides itself on its natural beauty and commitment to conservation.  Continuing the stewardship of these areas and protecting the land and indigenous species has always been a priority for residents and visitors alike."
• North Kingstown -  As North Kingstown looks forward to celebrating our 350th Anniversary in 2024, we know establishing and supporting programs to advance our community are keys to its sustained longevity and beauty. I am happy to join First Lady McKee's initiative and look forward to utilizing the available resources to promote community-based litter removal campaigns and do our part to "Keep Rhody Litter Free."
• Richmond - "Richmond is a beautiful, rural community and we'd like to keep it that way by reducing litter."
• Scituate - "We are a small community that is surrounding the largest reservoir in the state of Rhode Island. Not only is keeping our streets, playgrounds and properties free of litter important to us but it is critically important to the state that the watershed around the reservoir be kept clean and free of contaminants. The community takes this responsibility very seriously and our committees in town work towards these goals."
• Smithfiled - "The Smithfield environment, the people and wildlife that are in it are important to us."
• Warwick - "Litter not only effects our environment, but our overall health."
• West Warwick - "West Warwick is in the heart of the Pawtucket Valley and surrounded by rivers. Litter is detrimental to surrounding neighborhoods and waterways. It leads to a negative impact on our environment and health of our community. It affects our Town’s image and results in declining property values."
• Westerly - "Careless littering ends up in our waterways, is ingested by marine animals and is unsightly.  Removing trash from our environment requires a real team effort to combat.  While we have paid seasonal employees who help us tackle the increased single use plastics, styrofoam and take out trash from our summer concession stands, municipalities struggle to employ laborers through the winter months in RI.  Not only do we need to concentrate our efforts to inform folks not to litter, but to work with vendors to REDUCE their reliance on single use plastics, that do not break down.  France just banned use of all plastic utensils.  We need to do a better job at not creating so much trash in the first place and find incentives for businesses to make the switch to compostable trash.  Just like the grants offered to towns to help with smoking cessation, we need grants to cover the increased cost and shipping cost of switching from styrofoam to compostable products. "
   

Litter-Free Rhody Resources