Executive Summary

Curbside waste pickup is a vital part of every neighborhood's management scheme. Good garbage management necessitates the cooperation of all residents and the reliable services of the City and its contracted provider. In the inner city, garbage management is often neglected by the responsible parties, creating a burden for local residents.

My research investigated whether an integrated garbage management campaign to residents of urban core neighborhoods can effectively alter poor garbage management and recycling habits. "Integrated" refers to an education campaign that addresses recycling, garbage, and rats at the same time and as related issues.

I carried out a case study in the neighborhood of Smith Hill that consisted of a weekly street assessment to establish a garbage management baseline, and a test area to measure any changes as a result of the integrated communication campaign. The data were analyzed based on a scoring protocol and were also mapped using GIS.

Results showed that while the recycling rate for Providence is increasing, recycling participation in the urban core areas is not. Low recycling participation rates in the case study area also coincided with poorer garbage management and a visible rat presence. There was no significant change in garbage management as a result of the integrated campaign. It is unclear whether this is due to a flawed communications approach or to the lack of follow-up in the campaign.

The case study data can be used as an indicator of garbage management practices for Providence urban core neighborhoods. My primary recommendation to the City of Providence and the Department of Public Works is that education campaigns around the new garbage ordinance and the Maximum Recycling Program be specifically tailored to the urban core neighborhoods. Further study to test the effectiveness of an integrated communication method would be worthwhile, given the current and future challenge that cities face to manage their trash.