Providence residents opposed to a resolution suspending the recycling program protest at the City Council meeting.

The Providence Journal / Kris Craig

PROVIDENCE — City Councilors Thursday night called on Mayor David N. Cicilline to pick up the garbage that has been piling up on streets as the city’s new mandatory recycling program enters its third week and the Thanksgiving holiday approaches.

“If I would say anything to the mayor and those bozos, it’s pick up the trash,” said Councilor Balbina A. Young, who represents Upper South Providence.

“You can’t ‘green up’ Providence if you don’t pick up the garbage,” Councilor Luis A. Aponte, who represents Washington Park, said, referring to Cicilline’s slogan for the recycling mandate.

The comments came after Council President Peter S. Mancini delayed a vote on a resolution calling on Cicilline to temporarily suspend the recycling program. More than two dozen environmental activists turned out against the proposal, which was submitted by Councilor Josephine DiRuzzo, of Olneyville.

“Stopping the program now is not the right thing to do,” said Annie Costner, of Clean Water Action. “People will go back to their old behaviors and never learn to do this the right way.” The resolution was referred to the council’s Committee on Public Works.

Council leaders conceded that the worst may be behind them. Complaints to City Hall have dropped off significantly, sales of recycling bins are continuing at record pace and the city is already seeing improvements in its lowest-in-the-state recycling rate.

“The call to stop the program was done in a heat of passion when all those complaints were coming in and residents were at arms,” said City Councilor Michael Solomon, who represents Elmhurst and Mount Pleasant. “It’s clear that in all the commotion and chaos, people paid attention.”

City Director of Operations Alix Ogden said that calls about the new recycling program have decreased from an average of 40 a day, but she couldn’t say by how much. The city has sold 20,000 bins since October, more than double what it sells on average all year, she said.

Waste Management, the city’s trash and recycling hauler, rolled out four more recycling trucks this week; it previously had five rolling each day.

Councilors say their efforts will be focused on getting the $5 city recycling bins to those who need them and pushing the administration to refine the program as it progresses.

KEY POINTSNo-bin, no-barrel

Providence residents will be able to buy recycling bins at five satellite locations Saturday from 9 to 10 a.m.

Olneyville: Joslin Recreation Center, 17 Hyat St.

Smith Hill: Selim Rogers Recreation Center, 60 Camden Ave.

Mt. Hope: Vincent Brown Recreation Center, 438 Hope St.

West End: West End Recreation Center, 109 Bucklin St.

North End: Department of Recreation, One Recreation Way

pmarcelo@projo.com