Fridges are awkward to get rid of. They're heavy, most won't fit in a car, and they can't go in the bin, a skip or the back of a scrap wagon. York has four proper ways to do it, and two of them are free if you can do the lifting.
- Hazel Court and Towthorpe both take household fridges and freezers free.
- The council collects domestic fridges, with an extra charge on top of £33.50.
- Buying a new fridge? The retailer has to take the old one back free within 28 days.
- Fridges hold gas and foam that need specialist treatment, so they can't go in a skip or be left on the street.
- Use a registered waste carrier. If yours gets fly-tipped, the fine can land on you.
01Quick answer
With a big enough car and a second pair of hands, take it to Hazel Court or Towthorpe, where household fridges and freezers go free. The council will collect it from your drive if you can wait for your ward's collection day.
Buying a new one? The shop has to take the old one back. And when none of that works, a licensed carrier like us can collect it from your kitchen, garage or cellar today.
| Route | Cost | You need to | Best for |
|---|---|---|---|
| Hazel Court or Towthorpe tip | Free | Load it yourself. Book Hazel Court. Van permit if not a car | Two people and a big enough car |
| Council bulky collection | £33.50 for 1 to 3 items, plus a fridge charge | Get it outside before 7am on your ward's day | Not urgent, ground-floor access |
| Retailer take-back | Free, home collection may be charged | Buy a new one and hand over the old one within 28 days | Replacing a fridge anyway |
| Mukin collection | Fixed price agreed first | Send a photo | Today, stairs, no car, more than one item |
02Why a fridge can't go in the bin, a skip or with the scrap
The cooling circuit holds refrigerant gas, and the walls are packed with insulation foam. Recycle Your Electricals explains that the coolant is a greenhouse gas that has to be captured, and the foam can release harmful gases if it is broken up carelessly.
Since 2002 the law has required old fridges to go through approved contractors. A treatment plant removes the gas, then recovers the steel, copper, aluminium and plastic.
Skip firms refuse fridges for that reason, and the law counts them as electrical waste rather than scrap metal. It's also why so many get dumped.
On FixMyStreet, fridges and freezers are the bulky item York residents report fly-tipped most often: 20 of 284 reports, ahead of mattresses. This year's reports came from Acomb, Foxwood, Knapton, Badger Hill and Bishopthorpe Road.
03Option 1: Take it to Hazel Court or Towthorpe (free)
Both York tips accept household fridges and freezers free of charge. Commercial ones, such as shop chillers and café freezers, are refused at both.
- Hazel Court (YO10 3DS): book a slot before you go.
- Towthorpe, Strensall (YO32 9ST): no booking needed.
- Both are closed every Wednesday.
- Cars go straight in. Vans, pickups and trailers need a free council permit, and the booklet takes about 10 working days to arrive by post.
Getting it there is the hard bit. A full-height fridge freezer needs two people and a vehicle it'll fit in. Our A to Z of what you can take to the tip in York covers the rules for everything else, and the Hazel Court guide and Towthorpe guide have opening times and the booking steps.
04Option 2: City of York Council bulky collection
The council's bulky waste service collects domestic fridges and freezers. It costs £33.50 for one to three items or £55.50 for four to ten, and fridges and freezers carry an additional charge on top.
The council does not publish that charge on the page, so ask when you book on 01904 551551. Commercial fridges are refused, even if one has been used at home.
Collections run on Tuesdays, Wednesdays and Thursdays, depending on your ward. The fridge has to be out by 7am on the day, somewhere the crew can reach it, such as your drive or front garden. It can't go on the pavement, the road or a verge, and the crew won't come into the house.
That's good value if you can wait and can get the fridge outside yourself. From a first-floor flat or the back of a garage, the second part is where it falls down. Our bulky waste collection guide compares the council service with a same-day collection side by side.
05Option 3: Hand it back to the shop
If you're replacing the fridge anyway, start here. Retailers selling new electricals have to take back your old one when you buy its replacement, whatever the brand and wherever you bought the old one. Hand it over within 28 days of buying the new one and the retailer recycles it for free.
Because fridges are bulky, most retailers offer to collect the old one when they deliver the new one. Some charge for that collection, so check when you order rather than on the doorstep. This route only works when you're buying a new one.
06Option 4: Collection from inside the house
If you need it gone today or can't get it outside, we can collect it as part of our fridge and freezer collection across York. We carry it out of the kitchen, utility room, garage or cellar ourselves. You don't have to move it or help lift.
Every fridge and freezer we collect goes to a licensed site for degassing. We are an Upper Tier Waste Carrier, registration CBDU585818, and a waste transfer note is available on request.
The price is fixed and agreed before we start. WhatsApp a photo of the fridge and where it is, and we will reply with a price.
We are open seven days from 7am, with same-day slots across York and the villages. If other things are going too, such as an old sofa or a few bags from the garage, they go in the same trip.
Chest freezers too
Old chest freezers tend to live in the garage or cellar and they are the heaviest of the lot. Send us a photo of where it is and the route out, and we will price it from that.
07Do scrap men take fridge freezers? Check the licence first
Some scrap collectors will take a fridge, and plenty of them do it properly. Unregistered ones are the problem. Apart from the compressor, a fridge is worth little as scrap, so an unlicensed collector may cut that out and dump the cabinet.
In 2023 a fridge was reported fly-tipped in Heworth with the motor already cut out and the refrigerant leaking.
You carry some of that risk yourself. Householders have a legal duty of care to hand their waste only to someone authorised to take it. If your fridge is found fly-tipped and you cannot show who you gave it to, councils in England can issue a fixed penalty of up to £600. Before anything leaves your house:
- Ask for the waste carrier registration number.
- Look it up on the Environment Agency public register. It takes about a minute.
- Get a name, a vehicle registration and a receipt or waste transfer note.
Be wary of a cash price from a Facebook post with no name or number attached.
08Can a working fridge be reused?
A clean fridge that still works is worth offering to someone else first. Listing it free on Freegle or Freecycle is the quickest way to find out, and our guide to Freecycle and Freegle in York covers how to get things collected.
York Community Furniture Store also collects electrical items free of charge. Ring them first: they'll want to know the fridge works and is in good condition.
Nobody will take a fridge for reuse once it has stopped working, smells or leaks. For that one, use one of the four routes above.
Frequently asked questions
How do I get rid of a fridge freezer in York?
Four ways. Take it free to Hazel Court or Towthorpe tip if you can get it into a car or a permitted van. Book a City of York Council bulky collection, which takes domestic fridges for an extra charge. Hand it back to the shop within 28 days of buying a new one. Or WhatsApp us a photo on 07857 386029 and we will collect it from inside your home.
Does York Council collect fridges?
Yes. City of York Council's bulky waste service collects domestic fridges and freezers, with an additional charge on top of the standard £33.50 for one to three items. Commercial fridges are refused. Items go out on your drive or in your garden before 7am on your ward's collection day. See our bulky waste collection guide for the full comparison.
Can you put a fridge in a skip?
No. Fridges and freezers hold refrigerant gas and insulation foam that have to be removed at an approved treatment site, so skip companies will not take them. Use the tip, the council, the retailer or a licensed collection instead.
Do scrap men take fridge freezers?
Some do. Check that they are on the Environment Agency public register of waste carriers before you hand it over. Unlicensed collectors often strip the compressor for the metal and dump the rest, and if your fridge is fly-tipped the council can fine you up to £600.
Can I dispose of a fridge freezer for free?
Yes. Both York tips take household fridges and freezers free of charge, and retailers must take back your old one free when you buy a new one, as long as you hand it over within 28 days. Home collection by a retailer may carry a charge, so ask when you order.