If you’ve ever been brave enough to try and remove a refrigerator on your own, you know it is not a one person job. Especially if your flooring has the scuff marks to remind you.
A refrigerator can be incredibly heavy and awkward to move around. On top of that, you can’t simply just throw out a refrigerator. Even if you manage to get it down to the curb, most garbage disposal services in the United States won’t pick up an old refrigerator.
Because of this, disposing of an old refrigerator can be a nightmare task. Read on to learn how to make getting rid of your unwanted fridge easy and stress-free today.
How to Get Rid of Your Old Fridge:
**Click to auto scroll by section
What are my options for getting rid of a refrigerator?
When you think about the appliances in your kitchen that see the most use, your refrigerator is likely at the top of your list. Like most other large appliances, your fridge won’t last forever. Eventually, you will need to replace it to an upgraded, newer model with better efficiency.
But what are you going to do with your old fridge? Luckily, you have a few options when it comes to getting rid of large cooling appliances including pickup, donation and recycling.
1. Retailer or manufacturer refrigerator trade-in
Before you throw down the cash to buy a new refrigerator, ask your appliance seller if they can haul away your old fridge as part of the deal. This is the easiest way to get rid of an old fridge.
Some appliance retailers offer one-to-one trade-in programs that will haul away and recycle or refurbish your old refrigerator when buying a new one. Many appliance dealers will provide this service perk, especially if they are already dropping your refrigerator off at your home.
However, in order to do proper refrigerator disposal some require it to still be in good working condition. This service can cost an extra fee of $10 to $50. Some retailers require that you purchase one-to-one pick up service with new appliances, so don’t forget to ask.
2. Recycle your old refrigerator
If your old refrigerator meets local regulations near you, you may be able to have it recycled.
The good news is, you don’t need to know how to recycle a refrigerator. Many waste management services handle refrigerator recycling, and you can also rely on a junk removal company like LoadUp to take care of it for you.
Contact your local electric utility company or state energy office. Many local utilities and environmental organizations sponsor a growing number of appliance recycling programs.
Refrigerator recycling is better for the environment!
- Recycling your refrigerator helps reduce greenhouse gases and limits ozone damage.
- Recycling refrigerators is a great way to help cut back on landfill waste and energy use by preventing the release of toxic substances into the air, water, and soil.
However, you will have to haul your refrigerator to the nearest recycling facility yourself and dirty old fridges tend to be heavy. Free refrigerator recycling is typically not an option either.
♻️Check out our appliance disposal guide for the right ways to recycle a refrigerator and freezer.
3. Donate your gently used refrigerator to charity
Some local charities accept donations of old refrigerators, as long as they are still in good, usable working condition. Contact local charities to see if they will take your used refrigerator. You will usually have to haul the refrigerator to a donation drop-off center on your own.
However, some charities offer free refrigerator pick up and will come and pick up large appliances from your home. This means you won’t have to worry about figuring out how you’re going to get your refrigerator to the charity and making fridge pick up convenient.
4. Throw your refrigerator out with the trash
You may decide to throw away your old fridge and let the city deal with it. While this may be tempting, it does have quite a few drawbacks – including being terrible for the environment.
If your local trash service does offer to pick up refrigerators or other large appliances, you will have to book an appointment at least 2 weeks in advance or wait until large trash pickup day.
Mandatory recycling of large household appliances
In efforts to reduce landfill waste, many states have banned kitchen and other big appliances from landfills. Some states have made it mandatory to recycle large household appliances like:
In many cases, you will be required to take your old fridge to a transfer station or landfill. You will also need to hire a professional to remove the compressor and drain the refrigerator of its coolant prior to disposal, as well as pay a disposal fee.
PRO TIP: 💡 You will be expected to remove the doors beforehand. Do not tape the doors closed! Landfills can not legally accept refrigerators or freezers that have been taped shut.
5. Use junk removal services for old fridge or freezer.
You can completely skip the hassle and frustration of getting rid of your old refrigerator by using a professional junk removal service to pick it up, haul it away and dispose of it for you.
Junk removal services do charge a fee to pick up your refrigerator and dispose of it for you, but the time and energy you save are well worth it. Learn about appliance disposal costs.
Affordable appliance removal services
LoadUp is a nationwide junk removal service providing fast, easy, and affordable services near you. LoadUp offers upfront, no-haggle pricing and can take that old, unwanted refrigerator off your hands and handle necessary eco-friendly fridge recycling for you as soon as tomorrow.
Responsible appliances disposal services
LoadUp also makes sure that your refrigerator will be disposed of in an eco-friendly way. Having already kept over 3 million pounds of junk out of landfills, they try to have 100% of the items they pick up donated or recycled. Properly dispose of your old fridge with LoadUp!
Need help getting rid of your old fridge?Learn More ❯
The best refrigerator removal service near you
If you decide to have a junk removal company get rid of your old refrigerator instead of worrying with the hassle of renting a truck, wasting precious time and energy, and convincing your friends to help you, it’s important to choose the right one.
While there are many options to choose from for professional junk removal, LoadUp offers a lot that other hauling services don’t.
LoadUp refrigerator removal and disposal services
As a full-service junk removal company that understands excellent customer service is the best business strategy, LoadUp keeps your comfort and convenience a top priority.
LoadUp offers pickup times that fit your schedule, and your team of Loaders will handle all the heavy lifting and pick up your used refrigerator as-is, wherever it is in your home. If you can’t be around when they arrive to haul away your refrigerator, LoadUp also offers curbside pickup service at a discounted price.
While every other junk removal company in the industry forces you into a “free” onsite quote, stealing your time and making you have to haggle over the price, LoadUp provides you with an instant, a guaranteed quote that’s 20-30% lower than what those other guys charge.
LoadUp is a trailblazer in the junk removal industry, using proprietary technology developed in-house to provide customers with real-time updates on the status of their pickup and location of their Loader team. This means you don’t have to wait around all day for them to show up, because you’ll be alerted when they’re on their way.
LoadUp can help make getting rid of your old fridge a quick, easy experience instead of a big, bulky nightmare. Choose LoadUp Refrigerator Removal & Disposal Today.
