In 2013, the town that hosts the state landfill generated 60 percent more trash than the average similarly sized municipality in Rhode Island. Johnston trucked 1.4 tons of trash per household to the Central Landfill, while the average for municipalities of the same size was 0.85 tons per household, according to a report by the Rhode Island Resource Recovery Corporation (RIRRC), the agency that oversees the state’s landfill and recycling operations.
To solidify its trashy reputation, Johnston also ranked last among municipalities in recycling rate, according to the report. In terms of basic recyclables, such as bottles, cans, paper, cardboard and yogurt containers, Johnston diverted just 12.9 percent of these materials from the landfill in 2013 — 10 percent less than the state average and more than 16 percent less than Warwick, which led among similarly sized municipalities.