How to Dispose of a Refrigerator or Freezer in Arlington
An old refrigerator is mostly steel, which is the easy part. What decides where it can go is the sealed loop of refrigerant behind the back panel.
Call (682) 226-7611
The short answer
In Arlington, TX, a refrigerator or freezer must end up somewhere its refrigerant is recovered, as EPA rules require. City curbside collection takes one only with a certificate showing the Freon was removed. Otherwise use retailer haul-away, a donation pickup, or Junk Koala Arlington: $119 plus $35 heavy-item handling, before tax.
- Federal rule
- Refrigerant must be recovered before final disposal, under Clean Air Act Section 608
- City curbside
- Taken as bulky waste only with a certificate showing Freon was removed
- Crew price
- $119 plus $35 heavy-item handling, before sales tax
- Not done here
- Refrigerant recovery itself; units go to facilities that do it
What federal law asks of an old refrigerator
Behind the back panel of every refrigerator and freezer is a sealed loop: compressor, coils and a charge of refrigerant that has circulated since the day the unit was installed. EPA rules written under Section 608 of the Clean Air Act prohibit knowingly venting that refrigerant when an appliance is disposed of, and the safe-disposal section of those rules, 40 CFR 82.155, spells out what has to happen instead.
The duty lands at the end of the chain. The final processor, meaning the scrap recycler or landfill that takes the unit last, must either recover whatever refrigerant remains or keep a signed statement giving the name and address of whoever recovered it and the date they did. EPA says outright that a sticker on the cabinet is not accepted as proof.
That is why a refrigerator cannot ride along with a sofa and be forgotten. Whoever hauls it has to deliver it somewhere that deals with the refrigerant, or arrive with paperwork showing it has already been done. EPA's venting page notes that a few hydrocarbon refrigerants used in some household refrigerators are exempt from the venting ban; sorting that out is the recycler's job, and it does not change what a household should do with the unit. None of this is legal advice, only a plain reading of EPA's own pages.
Five ways out for an Arlington fridge, and the catch with each
Each route comes with a condition attached. Third parties set their own charges, so none are repeated here.
| Route | What to know |
|---|---|
| City curbside bulky collection | Appliances count as bulky waste, but anything containing Freon needs a certificate showing the Freon was properly removed. The same page limits bulky items to under 50 pounds each and never squares that with full-size appliances, so check with the city first. |
| Arlington Landfill, hauled yourself | The city encourages homeowners to spend one of their three free yearly visits on appliances. The landfill page does not describe how refrigerant units are handled, so call the scale house at 817-354-2300 before loading one. |
| Retailer haul-away on delivery | Ask when you buy the replacement whether the store takes the old unit, what it charges, and whether it must be emptied and disconnected first. The terms are the retailer's, not the city's. |
| Donation pickup | Mission Arlington lists appliances, non-working refrigerators included, among the items it collects from Arlington homes. Trinity Habitat's Arlington ReStore lists working appliances. |
| Junk Koala Arlington crew | $119 plus $35 heavy-item handling, carried out from wherever it stands and delivered to a facility that recovers refrigerant. The branch does not recover refrigerant itself. |
Reading Arlington's Freon certificate rule
Arlington's curbside page puts appliances in the bulky-waste category, picked up on your regular collection day and counted against the 2-cubic-yard weekly allowance. It adds one condition for anything holding Freon: the appliance must have a certificate showing the Freon has been properly removed. A missing certificate is one of the reasons the city lists for leaving an Oops tag instead of collecting, and tagged material has to be off the curb within 24 hours to avoid penalties or fines.
The page does not say who issues that certificate. In practice it means arranging refrigerant recovery yourself before collection day and keeping the record, which is a lot of coordination for one appliance. For large appliances, the city's recycling page points residents either to the landfill or to Republic Services at 817-317-2000.
There is also an unresolved wrinkle. The same curbside page says every bulky item must weigh less than 50 pounds, and it describes the 2-cubic-yard allowance as about the size of a washer and dryer. Read literally, the weight rule would exclude almost any full-size refrigerator, and the page never explains how the two fit together. Call the city before counting on the curb for anything heavy.
If the refrigerator still runs, or someone could use it
A working unit has better options than a dead one. Working appliances are on the donation list at Trinity Habitat for Humanity's ReStore, 905 W. Mayfield Rd., which collects free above a minimum donation value set on its donate page and takes smaller donations at the door.
Mission Arlington goes further: its pickup page lists non-working refrigerators and stoves among the household items it collects from homes in Arlington, Monday through Saturday. Call 817-277-6620 several days ahead. For an old but functional fridge, that call is worth making before you pay anyone.
We also looked for a utility or appliance-recycling program currently serving Arlington and could not confirm one on an official page, so none is listed here. If your electricity provider advertises one, read its current terms before scheduling anything else.
Getting a fridge ready for whoever collects it
- 1
Empty it a day or two ahead
Food, shelves you want to keep, magnets, and whatever is hiding in the door bins. A refrigerator still full of groceries is not ready to move, whoever is moving it.
- 2
Unplug it the night before
Prop the doors open over a towel so the freezer thaws and drains on your kitchen floor, where you can mop it, and not in a truck or down a staircase.
- 3
Close the ice-maker water valve
If a supply line runs to the back, shut the valve. A crew can detach a line that is already off and within reach; a seized or buried valve needs a plumber first.
- 4
Measure the way out
Compare the fridge's depth and height with the narrowest door on the route. Taking the doors off the appliance to clear a frame is routine and takes minutes.
- 5
Never leave it outside with the doors on
A latched door on an unattended fridge can trap a child. If it has to wait in a driveway or at the curb, remove the doors or strap them shut first.
The crew route and what it costs
In the Junk Koala price book, a refrigerator or freezer lists at $119. It is classed as a heavy item, so the $35 heavy-handling charge applies, which puts one unit at $154 before sales tax. Each flight of stairs without an elevator adds $25, a long carry adds $25, and booking online takes $20 off at checkout.
The crew takes it out from wherever it stands, removes doors when a frame demands it, and delivers it to a facility that recovers refrigerant before the cabinet is scrapped for steel. Junk Koala Arlington does not perform refrigerant recovery and does not claim to; its part of the job is getting the unit there intact.
A garage fridge rarely leaves alone. The chest freezer, the shelving built around it and the boxes stacked against its door can go on the same visit, priced together and never above the load-size price for the truck space they fill.
- Kitchen, garage and utility-room refrigerators
- Chest and upright freezers
- Doors removed or strapped before the carry
- Delivered for refrigerant recovery, then scrap
- Anything else in the garage priced on the same visit
One photo, one written price
Photograph the unit and the doorway it has to leave through, and the quote comes back in writing before anything is scheduled.
FAQ
Related questions
- Can I put an old refrigerator out for Arlington bulk trash pickup?
- Only with a certificate showing the Freon has been properly removed. Arlington treats appliances as bulky waste, but its curbside page makes that certificate a condition for anything containing Freon. The same page caps bulky items at under 50 pounds each, so confirm with the city before setting out a full-size unit.
- Is it illegal to throw away a fridge without removing the refrigerant?
- Releasing the refrigerant is: EPA rules under Section 608 of the Clean Air Act prohibit knowingly venting it during disposal. The fridge itself can be discarded, but the scrap yard or landfill that takes it last must recover the refrigerant or keep a signed statement naming who did. This is a plain summary, not legal advice.
- Does Junk Koala Arlington remove the Freon from refrigerators?
- No. The crew collects the refrigerator or freezer and delivers it to a facility that recovers refrigerant before the unit is scrapped. The branch handles the carry and the delivery, not the recovery itself.
- How much does it cost to have a refrigerator hauled away in Arlington?
- $154 for a single unit in the Junk Koala price book, before sales tax: $119 for the refrigerator plus $35 heavy-item handling. Stairs with no elevator add $25 a flight on top, and the $20 online booking discount comes off at checkout.
- Will a charity in Arlington take a refrigerator that doesn't work?
- Mission Arlington will, by its own description: it lists non-working refrigerators among the appliances it picks up from Arlington homes, Monday through Saturday, booked by calling 817-277-6620. Trinity Habitat's ReStore lists working appliances.
Sources
- US EPA: Stationary Refrigeration Safe Disposal Requirements (Clean Air Act Section 608) — checked
- eCFR: 40 CFR 82.155, Safe disposal of appliances — checked
- US EPA: Stationary Refrigeration Prohibition on Venting Refrigerants — checked
- City of Arlington: Residential Curbside Collections — checked
- City of Arlington: Recycling and Sustainability Programs — checked
- City of Arlington: Arlington Landfill — checked
- Mission Arlington: Scheduling Pickups — checked
- Trinity Habitat for Humanity: Donate (ReStore terms) — checked
Ready when you are
You point. We haul. That is the whole arrangement.
Choose a window from the live Arlington calendar, or send a few photographs and get the number first. Homes or businesses, one item or a whole property.
Or call (682) 226-7611
The Arlington branch
Junk Koala Arlington
1140 W Pioneer Pkwy, Ste 1144E
Arlington, TX 76013