How to dispose of a refrigerator or a freezer comes down to one fact: the cooling system still holds refrigerant, and that gas has to be recovered before the metal is scrapped. Do not leave an old fridge at the curb with the regular trash, and do not cut or drain the lines yourself. Use a city appliance pickup, a retailer haul-away when you buy a new unit, a utility recycling program or an appliance recycler that recovers refrigerant.
Photo: Three old refrigerators set outside at West Glacier, Montana. Glacier National Park, 2021-04-07. Public domain · Source. Resized for web.
What is true everywhere
Refrigerators, freezers, window air conditioners and dehumidifiers all contain refrigerant. The US Environmental Protection Agency says it is illegal to release refrigerant on purpose, and household units reach the end of their lives with the charge still inside. Under federal rules, the last business in the disposal chain, usually a scrap recycler or a landfill, is responsible for making sure the refrigerant is recovered before the appliance is crushed or buried.
That is why a scrap yard or landfill may ask for proof. If someone else has already recovered the refrigerant, the final disposer can accept a signed statement with that person’s name, address and the date of recovery. No sticker is required by federal rules.
The refrigerant is not the only part that needs care. EPA lists three other materials found in old refrigerators and freezers:
- Used compressor oil, which is drained and handled as used oil.
- Mercury switches, found in the lids of some chest freezers and in older lights.
- PCB capacitors, which may be in units made before 1979.
Old refrigerants also matter for the climate and the ozone layer. Older units may hold CFC or HCFC refrigerants; newer ones use HFCs or HFOs, and some small new units such as wine chillers use flammable gases. A recycler sorts this out. The person setting the fridge out does not need to know which gas is inside.
- Empty the unit and clean out food.
- Find out who will take it: your city service, the store delivering a new one, your electric utility or an appliance recycler.
- Ask whether an appointment is required and whether the doors must come off.
- Keep the unit upright and the refrigerant lines intact until it is collected.
Where it turns local
Who collects the fridge, whether it costs anything and how you book it depend on where you live.
Denver: free pickup by appointment, plus a utility rebate
Denver collects refrigerators, freezers and air conditioners for Solid Waste Management customers free of charge, by appointment through 311 or 720-913-1311. The city says these appliances contain Freon and are handled safely. Denver also notes that Xcel Energy customers can earn a $50 rebate for recycling a refrigerator.
The Denver trash and recycling guide covers the rest of the city’s collection rules, and bulk pickup rules by city compare large-item services.
Los Angeles: metal appliance pickup on your trash day
LA Sanitation picks up refrigerators and freezers free for its curbside customers through Metal Appliance Pickup, which also takes washers, dryers, dishwashers, air conditioners and water heaters. Book at least one business day before your regular collection day through MyLA311 or 1-800-773-2489, which answers 24 hours a day. The appliance is collected on your normal day, often by a different truck from the one that takes your trash.
See the Los Angeles trash pickup guide for the bin schedule and other services.
Chicago: a bulk pickup with the doors removed
Chicago has no fixed bulk day. Arrange a pickup with your ward’s Streets and Sanitation superintendent or through 311 before setting a refrigerator out, and remove its doors or the freezer lid first. The city’s Household Chemicals and Computer Recycling Facility does not take household appliances or refrigerants, so it is not an option for a fridge.
The Chicago trash pickup schedule explains how to reach the ward office and what else goes out as bulk.
How to find your local answer
Search your city or county waste site for appliance pickup, bulk pickup, white goods or refrigerator. Before booking, check:
- whether the service covers your address or building type;
- whether it needs an appointment and how far ahead;
- whether there is a fee;
- whether doors must be removed or the refrigerant recovered before pickup.
If you are buying a new refrigerator, ask the retailer whether it will take the old one away at delivery and what that costs. EPA notes that many retailers haul away old appliances, and some take drop-offs. Then check your electric utility’s website for a refrigerator recycling or rebate program. Some utilities pay a rebate for an old working unit.
For a unit that no longer works, look for an appliance recycler or scrap dealer that recovers refrigerant, and ask how it handles the gas before you drop it off. The drop-off locations catalog lists landfills, transfer stations and drop-off sites by state, with what each one takes.
What this is not
This guide is about household refrigerators, freezers and similar small cooling appliances. It is not a guide to central air conditioners or commercial refrigeration, which a licensed technician services and recovers on site.
It is also not about small kitchen appliances without refrigerant. A microwave follows different rules; see how to dispose of a microwave. Televisions and computers belong with electronics: old TVs and computers.
