How to get rid of an old refrigerator in California

Why the curb isn't an option

Refrigerators, freezers, air conditioners, and dehumidifiers contain refrigerant gases. Under California law these are treated as regulated waste, and the refrigerant has to be recovered by a certified technician before the unit can be scrapped or landfilled.

That's why bulky-item pickup programs exclude them, why scrap yards often refuse them, and why the fridge that quit in 2019 is still in your garage.

The four legal routes

In rough order of convenience:

• Utility recycling programs — some California utilities run rebate programs that pick up working older refrigerators and pay you a small amount. Slow to schedule, but free and sometimes profitable
• Retailer haul-away at delivery — most appliance retailers will remove the old unit when they deliver the new one, usually for a fee, and usually only for the same appliance type
• County transfer station drop-off — Placer County facilities accept appliances with refrigerant for a fee, if you have a truck and the ability to load it
• A junk removal company — we pull it out of wherever it sits, no loading on your end, and route it to certified recovery and metal recycling

What happens to the fridge afterward

At a proper facility, refrigerant is recovered under EPA rules, oils and capacitors are removed, and then the steel shell, copper, and aluminum are recycled. A refrigerator is genuinely one of the more recyclable large items in a house — the problem is purely the gas.

Anyone who offers to take your fridge for cash out of a truck bed is not doing any of that. The refrigerant is being vented, which is both illegal and one of the more damaging things you can do to the atmosphere for the value of a scrap shell.

Practical tips before pickup

Empty it, obviously, but also prop the door open for a day beforehand if it's been sealed shut with food in it — that saves everyone involved a bad afternoon.

Unplug it 24 hours ahead if it's still running, and if it has an ice maker, shut off and disconnect the water line. Tape the door shut for transport if the latch is loose, and remove glass shelving if it's not fixed in place.