How to dispose of your old fridge freezer
5 ways to get rid of your old fridge
Need advice about fridge freezer disposal? You’re in luck! This article details all the ways you can dispose of a fridge freezer so you can choose the best solution and make sure you don't overpay:
- Charity collection or donation
- Donate or sell it online
- Recycling centre
- Council bulky waste collection
- Man & van fridge freezer disposal
1. Charity donation (or collection)
Is your fridge still in excellent working condition? Certain charities accept fridge donations. National charities are listed below but you should also check to see if any local charities in your area want white goods donations. A good place to look for suggestions is in your council’s bulky waste pages.
National charities that accept fridge donations
| Charity | Link |
| Age UK | https://www.ageuk.org.uk/get-involved/donate/charity-shops/ |
| British Heart Foundation | https://www.bhf.org.uk/shop/donating-goods/book-furniture-collection-near-me |
| British Red Cross | https://www.redcross.org.uk/shop/donating-items-to-our-charity-shops |
| Salvation Army | https://www.salvationarmydonationcentre.org/book-a-free-collection |
| Sense | https://www.sense.org.uk/shop/charity-shops/donate-items/ |
Remember to call or email ahead to check if your local stores accept furniture and electrical goods.
2. Donate or sell your fridge online
If for whatever reason charity donation isn’t an option for your old fridge freezer, you could still try online reuse options. We recommend taking plenty of good quality pictures and being as descriptive as possible about the item and why you're getting rid of it.
Some popular sites to use:
- Freecycle & Freegle - platforms for free reuse only
- Facebook marketplace - sell or give away for free
- Gumtree - sell or give away
- LoveJunk - give away for free (and if you don’t find anybody, get rid of your old fridge with a waste carrier!)
3. Take it to the recycling centre
If you are a householder, you can dispose of your fridge at a Household Waste Recycling Centre (otherwise known as the local tip or a civic amenity site). After reuse, this is normally your next cheapest option because normally there’s no cost to dispose of waste at council tips.
The main thing to consider is transport. All recycling centre sites allow regular cars but some have restrictions on vans and trailers. Check your council’s website for location-specific info. You may need to get creative with fitting the fridge into your car!
Use our Interactive Map of Council Tips to find your nearest site.
4. Council service
Almost every council in the country offers a bulky item collection service. Prices to collect 1 regular size fridge vary from free to £71. The average is £33. Check out our article on Council Large Item Collection Prices to see how your council compares.
Though council services are usually cheaper than using a private waste collector, consider you may be waiting for a couple of weeks. They also can’t come into your house so you must leave the item outside the property.
5. Man & Van fridge freezer disposal
Lastly, you can pay a licensed waste removal company for fridge freezer disposal. They can collect much faster than the council (sometimes same day) and are able to collect from anywhere on your property (including from indoors and upstairs!).
Be careful! Make sure that the waste carrier is licensed with the Environment Agency. Unfortunately, there are a lot of cowboy collectors out there who pick up waste very cheaply only to dump it in a field or layby somewhere. If the council can trace the waste back to you, you’ll have to pay a fine.
To find fully licensed and insured waste carriers near you, use the LoveJunk marketplace. All waste carriers are verified and approved, plus you can compare ratings and reviews from previous customers before choosing.
How much does fridge freezer disposal cost?
Expect to pay between £40-£115 for fridge freezer disposal. The average is £74. Bear in mind that this price depends on the size of your fridge (some are big American-style), accessibility and urgency of the job.
For a no obligation quote to get rid of your fridge, post a listing on the LoveJunk marketplace. It’s totally free to post and view quotes from local, fully licensed waste collectors.
Check out LoveJunk's Rubbish Removal Prices tool to compare prices around the country, or see below for some examples of fridge freezer disposal.
Example fridge disposal prices
Fridge freezer, £35
Large fridge disposal, £50
Medium fridge freezer, £30
Large fridge freezer, £40
Large fridge, £15
Broken fridge, £45
American fridge freezer, £80*
Fridge, £45
American fridge freezer , £75*
American fridge freezer, £75
Large fridge, £50
American fridge freezer, £60
Tall fridge, £50
Large fridge, £50
Fridge, £50
Wine fridge, £60
Fridge freezer, £65
American fridge freezer, £15
Tall fridge, £50
Large fridge freezer, £50
Fridge, £65
Fridge freezer, £20
Tall fridge, £40
Fridge, £40
Fridge freezer, £50
American fridge freezer, £50
Broken fridge, £45
Can you put your fridge in a skip?
Unfortunately, no - you cannot put fridges in a skip. Due to their potentially harmful components, fridges require a different kind of disposal. This means skip companies don't allow them (and nor, for that matter, do Hippobags).
Finally, thanks for reading!
We hope you found this article about fridge freezer disposal useful. Do you have more waste to get rid of? Check out How to Dispose of Rubbish for guidance.
