How to Dispose of a Refrigerator or Freezer in NYC

In New York City you can't just drag a fridge to the curb — DSNY requires the refrigerant to be professionally removed first. Here's the full process, step by step, plus your donation and private-hauler options.

Refrigerators and freezers are one of the few household items you genuinely cannot put out as ordinary bulk trash in New York City. They contain CFCs/Freon and other refrigerants, and under federal law (the Clean Air Act, Section 608) it's illegal to intentionally vent those chemicals into the atmosphere while disposing of the equipment. That's why the NYC Department of Sanitation (DSNY) makes you go through a specific refrigerant-recovery process before the appliance can be collected and recycled.

The good news: for most New Yorkers, DSNY does this part for free. Here's exactly how it works.

Step 1: Schedule a free CFC/Freon recovery appointment

Before your fridge or freezer can be picked up, a trained DSNY crew has to come recover the refrigerant. You request that appointment two ways:

• Online through the DSNY appliance/CFC recovery service request on nyc.gov, or
• By phone, calling 311 (TTY: 212-504-4115).

You can request recovery for up to 10 appliances in a single appointment, which is handy for landlords, building staff, or anyone clearing out multiple units. There's no charge for the residential curbside recovery service.

Step 2: Prep the appliance the night before

DSNY has specific placement rules so crews can safely access the unit. Before the morning of your appointment:

1. Remove the doors, hinges, and locks from the refrigerator or freezer. This is a long-standing safety requirement to prevent children from getting trapped inside an abandoned unit.
2. Place it at the curb between 6:00 PM and midnight the evening before your scheduled appointment.
3. Position the appliance with its back facing the street, so the crew can reach the compressor and refrigerant lines.

Empty the unit, and if it's a chest or upright freezer, defrost it ahead of time so it isn't leaking water all over the sidewalk.

Step 3: The decal — DSNY recovers the refrigerant and tags it

On the day of your appointment, a DSNY crew comes to your address, recovers the CFC/Freon, and places a sticker/tag on the appliance. This tag carries a six-digit number that tells the regular collection workers the unit has been certified safe and is ready to be hauled away. That decal is the whole point of the process — without it, collection crews will leave the appliance behind.

Important exception: R-600a and R-32 refrigerants

Some newer refrigerators, freezers, and air conditioners use R-600a (isobutane) or R-32 refrigerant, which are flammable. DSNY cannot recover these. Look for a yellow-triangle warning sticker with black flames on the unit. If your appliance has one, DSNY won't service it — you'll need to contact the manufacturer or a private carter for safe disposal instead.

What if you live in a building with a super or doorman?

In many NYC apartment buildings, the superintendent or porter handles putting bulk items and appliances out for DSNY collection. Before you schedule anything yourself, check with building management — they may already have a routine for appliance recovery appointments, and house rules often dictate where and when large items can be staged. For co-ops and condos, confirm who is responsible for booking the 311/DSNY appointment.

Better option first: donate a working fridge

If your refrigerator or freezer still runs, donating it keeps a usable appliance out of the recycling stream and can earn you a tax deduction:

• Habitat for Humanity NYC & Westchester ReStore accepts gently-used appliances and offers free pickup throughout NYC (they generally want a minimum number of furniture/appliance items per pickup — confirm current rules when you schedule). Self-schedule online, email restore@habitatnycwc.org, or call 646-876-9460.
• Big Reuse (Brooklyn/Queens) accepts working appliances and can sometimes arrange free pickup.
• DonateNYC — the city's official donation directory at nyc.gov/donate — lets you search by item to find nearby organizations that take appliances.

Donation centers only want working units in good condition. A dead fridge goes through the DSNY recovery process above.

Cost comparison: your disposal options

Most New Yorkers don't need to pay anything, but here's how the choices stack up. Costs are sourced ranges and vary by neighborhood, building access (stairs vs. elevator), and number of items.

A licensed private junk-removal company is the practical choice when the appliance can't physically reach the curb (think a fifth-floor walk-up), when you need it gone the same day, or when your unit carries the flammable-refrigerant warning sticker that DSNY won't touch. Whoever you hire, make sure they're a licensed carter and dispose of refrigerant-bearing appliances properly — venting Freon is a federal violation, not just bad etiquette.

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