Just moving your old refrigerator is a huge chore. Taking it out of the house to dispose of it through recycling is a job most homeowners are unable to do. 

But if you need to get rid of your old refrigerator because you no longer need it or it's no longer working, what can you do?

Appliance Removal and Refrigerator Disposal

What many homeowners and others don't realize is that your old refrigerator is recyclable.

Of course, you can't put it in your curbside recycling bin! But you can make arrangements for it to be removed and then taken to a proper recycling facility. 

What you don't want to do is simply give up on the idea of getting it out of your house and end up storing it in the garage, basement, or back porch. If it's still working and you don't mind paying for the electricity that it uses, then it might be nice to have an extra freezer and some refrigerator space.

But if it doesn't work then leaving it accessible in your home or on your property can be a hazard.

As convenient as refrigerator technology is for a modern home, it's that same technology that helps make and old refrigerator a potential death trap. This is because refrigerators are built as airtight containers. And they do not have handles on the inside. These two factors have led to tragic results for numbers of small children who got inside old or abandoned units and then shut the door.

These terrible incidents became termed "refrigerator deaths" and, unfortunately, they still occur today.

An article in Good Housekeeping notes that,

"According to Buzzfeed, back in the day so many children were climbing into refrigerators, getting stuck inside, and suffocating to death that the government passed the Refrigerator Safety Act in 1956. Until then, refrigerators could only be opened from an outside latch and were lined with an airtight rubber seal, making it harder for parents to hear their children calling for help. Talk about scary.

The new act required manufacturers to make fridge doors openable 'easily from the inside.' So most companies switched to a magnetic mechanism that allowed doors to stay closed when you wanted them to, but open from the inside with a little push." 

Although domestic refrigerators were fast becoming household appliances in the 1930s, it wasn't until the years after The Second World War that large numbers of old refrigerators were being disposed of. The rapid rise in industrial production and a renewed prosperity meant that, not only were new refrigerators were being bought in increasing numbers, but old ones were being replaced.

An unintended consequence of this mass disposal was a rise in tragic deaths, mostly of small children, from being trapped in old refrigerators.

While this problem has been practically eliminated, simply dumping an non-working (or unwanted) refrigerator unit is still highly unacceptable.

And they still have potential hazards, although of a different type.

Disposing of Old Refrigerators Through Recycling

Recycling your old refrigerator is the optimal disposal solution.

In fact, even if you did decide you'd rather just dump your old appliance somewhere, it's most likely not legal no matter where you live in the United States. And, no, you probably can't take it to the local landfill in your area either.

That's because many older appliances such as refrigerators and most air conditioners contain Freon, a solvent that was used as a coolant and is harmful to the environment. Freon, or R-12, is a chemical that can damage the ozone layer. For this reason, the federal government issued a ban in 1994 on its use in new refrigerators and air-conditioning systems.

Although a much less harmful alternative called tetrafluoroethene, or R-134a, has been used instead since 1990, many old appliances are still around today that contain Freon.  And, while these old units can certainly still be recycled, all the Freon must be carefully removed and collected by a certified technician, usually at a recycling center, before the old unit can go through the recycling process.

The good news is that, when it comes to refrigerator disposal, these appliances are highly recyclable. After any hazardous components such as Freon and oils have been professionally removed, over 90 percent of the materials that make up the refrigerator can be recycled and reused.

Or, as the Environmental Protection Agency says it,

"Almost all of the materials in your refrigerator or freezer can be recycled. This includes the metal cabinet, plastic liner, glass shelves, the refrigerant and oil in the compressor, and the blowing agent contained in polyurethane foam insulation."

And, best of all, disposing of old refrigerators through recycling does not have be a DIY chore!

If you decide that it's time to get rid of that old unit from your kitchen or garage, keep in mind that there a few things you can do to make your old refrigerator disposal go smoother and have it ready for recycling.

And we've put together this handy checklist to help you get started:

Recycling: Your Best Refrigerator Disposal Option

So, you've finally decided that you want to get rid of your old refrigerator. But what do you do with it?

If it's in good working order you can certainly try to sell it either locally or online. Just make sure it's clean and that you make a full disclosure about any dings, scratches, or broken parts. Or perhaps you'd rather simply donate it or give it to a family member or friend that needs a fridge. 

Those are great options. But what if you can't do that? Or what if your unit doesn't work any longer?

While the obvious answer might be to dump it, that's actually the worst thing you could try to do. And it's highly unlikely that you even can dump it somewhere, depending on where you live in the United States. But, because so much of what  a refrigerator is made of can be efficiently recycled, getting it removed and taken to a recycling facility is the best option.

And, depending again on where you live in the country, getting your old refrigerator transported to a proper facility for recycling is pretty easy. In fact, the easiest way to get rid of your old refrigerator in an eco-friendly manner is to call a junk removal service. 

And Junk King is your best choice for the job!

Your Refrigerator Removal Partners

Your local Junk King location can provide efficient, safe, and eco-friendly refrigerator removal service to make the entire process easy for you.

Our experienced refrigerator removal team will quickly and easily haul away your old fridge without damaging any part of your home in the process.

Oh, and we'll do all the heavy lifting!

Because Junk King is the greenest junk removal service in the nation, you can be assured that we’ll guarantee that your refrigerator is disposed of at a proper recycling facility so that it doesn’t do any harm to our ecosystem.

Our professional and insured refrigerator disposal team will show up at your home or office and we'll call 15 minutes before we arrive at your home. And, when we do arrive, we’ll give you a free estimate based on how much room your items take up in our truck.

You lead the way and we'll haul your old fridge and other items into our junk removal trucks, and with no hidden fees.

Ready to get rid of your old refrigerator? It’s as simple as 1, 2, 3.

You can make an appointment by booking online above or by calling 1.888.888.JUNK (5865)