How to get rid of a TV in Providence

The short answer

Rhode Island bans e-waste, including TVs of every type, CRT, LCD and plasma, from the trash. In Providence you can book a free e-waste pickup by appointment with Waste Management, bring the TV to an RIRRC collection event, or have it carried out: $62 for a TV under 42 inches, $68 for 42 to 65 inches and $73 for 65 inches and up.

Why your TV cannot go in the bin

The City of Providence's own guidance cites state law: e-waste is banned from the trash in Rhode Island. The list includes monitors, laptops and televisions, whether they are old CRT tube sets, flat LCD panels or plasma screens.

The reason is what is inside them. Old CRT sets contain leaded glass. Flat screens contain circuit boards and metals that should not be crushed in a garbage truck and buried. Recycling them recovers material and keeps it out of the Central Landfill in Johnston, which the state needs to last as long as possible.

Putting a TV out with your regular trash or beside the bin means it will not be collected. Putting it on the curb for bulky day does not work either, because electronics are handled separately from furniture and appliances.

Option 1: free e-waste pickup by appointment

Providence residents can book a free e-waste pickup with Waste Management by appointment. This is the cheapest route by money and it is a good one if the TV is easy to get to the curb and you are not in a hurry.

Book ahead, follow the instructions you are given for set-out, and put the TV out only for your appointment. A flat screen left on the sidewalk overnight in rain is a mess, and a cracked screen is a hazard to anyone walking by.

The appointment route has the same limitation as every city service: it starts at the curb. If your TV is a 65-inch panel on the third floor, or a forty-year-old console set in the basement, getting it to the street is your job.

Option 2: RIRRC collection events

The Rhode Island Resource Recovery Corporation runs e-waste collection events. Check RIRRC's current schedule for dates and locations, then load your TV and drive it there.

Events are useful if you have several electronics to clear at once, such as a TV, an old desktop tower, a monitor and a printer, and a car big enough to carry them. Wrap flat screens in a blanket so they do not crack in transit. Many large panels should travel upright rather than flat, so check the manufacturer's guidance.

RIRRC sites can close for weather, as one did in September 2026, so check notices before you go.

Option 3: a flat-price pickup

The crew takes the TV off the wall or stand and carries it out from any floor. There is no stairs fee. We recycle whatever we can.

Every TV is below the $100 minimum on its own, so a single TV bills at $100. Pair it with the stand it sits on: a 55-inch TV and an entertainment center are $68 + $96 = $164. Two TVs from a move-out, one 65-inch and one small, are $73 + $62 = $135.

Old CRT and console sets

Basements and attics across Providence, Pawtucket and Cranston still hold old tube TVs, some in wooden console cabinets that were furniture as much as electronics. They are heavy for their size, the glass is thick, and they are awkward to grip.

Do not try to take the cabinet apart to get the tube out. CRT glass contains lead and the tube can implode if damaged. Carry the whole thing as one piece, with two people, and keep the screen facing your body on the stairs.

If you are not sure which price line an old console falls under, send a photo through the instant quote, and you see the price before booking. It only changes if you approve a change.

Wall-mounted TVs and moving out

If the TV is wall-mounted, decide in advance who removes the mount. Landlords often want the mount gone and the holes patched; others want it left for the next tenant. Check your lease. Taking the TV down off the bracket is a two-person job for anything over about 50 inches.

In student apartments on College Hill and near Providence College, TVs are among the most common items left behind at the end of May. Because they cannot go in the trash, they are also among the most annoying for landlords. Book the pickup before your last day. Same-day pickup is available when you book by 4 PM. See also TV and electronics disposal in Providence.

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