Refrigerator Recycling in Ithaca, NY

Refrigerators are $20 each at the Tompkins County RSWC (permit required).

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Checked October 26, 2026 · Call before you go · How we check

2 ways to get rid of a refrigerator in Ithaca

Tap an option to see the address, hours, cost and rules.

CurbCycle PickupPickup from your home · IthacaNo haulingWe recycle it for youFrom $140.00
How it works
Book online, set out your refrigerator and we’ll pick it up and recycle it for you. You see your price before you book and pay only after pickup.
Book a pickup →
Tompkins County Recycling and Solid Waste Center (RSWC)County service · Tompkins CountyTompkins County residents$20
How it works
County drop-off at 160 Commercial Avenue, Ithaca (Mon–Sat 7 a.m.–3:30 p.m.). Takes electronics and TVs (no TV fee since 2023), batteries, scrap metal and metal appliances, refrigerant units ($20 each) and tires ($5 each for 1–10 car tires). A $30 residential permit, sold only to Tompkins County residents and businesses at 122 Commercial Ave, is needed for fee items.
Cost & rules
Fees
Refrigerant unit $20
- A Tompkins County solid waste permit is required for fee items.
Official page (opens in new tab)

Fees
Refrigerant unit	$20

Before you go

Refrigerant must be removed by a certified technician; ask whether the operator handles that and what it costs.
Empty and clean it, and ask whether doors must be removed or taped shut.
Check for utility appliance-recycling rebates before paying for disposal.

More about refrigerators and freezers

New York rules

Refrigerators and freezers are household appliances excluded from New York's e-waste law. Source: NYSDEC: Recycling Consumer Electronic Waste (opens in new tab)
DEC's storm debris guidance: nonworking refrigerators, freezers and air conditioners need Freon or other refrigerant removed by a certified technician before recycling. Source: NYSDEC: Storm Debris Management Guidelines (opens in new tab)

More New York rules (8)

Refrigerant must be removed from refrigerators, freezers and air conditioners by a certified technician before they are recycled (DEC storm debris guidance). Source: NYSDEC: Storm Debris Management Guidelines (opens in new tab)
Household hazardous wastes are household materials that would be regulated as hazardous waste if generated elsewhere; household-generated HHW is exempt from state and federal hazardous waste rules. Source: NYSDEC: Household Hazardous Waste (HHW) (opens in new tab)
Residents can take HHW to authorized HHW collection facilities or HHW collection events hosted by counties and municipalities; DEC has a map and list of permitted facilities. Source: NYSDEC: Household Hazardous Waste (HHW) (opens in new tab)
If there is no permitted facility nearby, check with your municipality for periodic one- or two-day HHW collection events. Source: NYSDEC: Household Hazardous Waste (HHW) (opens in new tab)
The state Environmental Protection Fund can pay up to 50 percent of the cost of municipal HHW collection programs. Source: NYSDEC: Household Hazardous Waste (HHW) (opens in new tab)
General Municipal Law 120-aa required every municipality, by September 1, 1992, to adopt a local law requiring source separation of recyclables (paper, glass, metals, plastics, yard waste) where economic markets exist. Source: NY General Municipal Law 120-AA: Source separation and segregation of recyclable or reuseable materials (opens in new tab)
DEC tells residents to check local guidance to see which items their program accepts. Source: NYSDEC: Recycling Resources (opens in new tab)
DEC lists New York collection programs for items that belong outside the recycling bin: beverage containers, carpet, cell phones, e-waste, lead-acid vehicle batteries, mercury thermostats, paint, pharmaceuticals, plastic film, rechargeable batteries and tires. Source: NYSDEC: Recycling and Composting (opens in new tab)

Where this information comes from (14)

Where this information comes from

Checked October 26, 2026

NYSDEC: Recycling Consumer Electronic Waste (opens in new tab) · New York State Department of Environmental Conservation
- Refrigerators and freezers are household appliances excluded from New York's e-waste law. Checked October 26, 2026.
NYSDEC: Storm Debris Management Guidelines (opens in new tab) · New York State Department of Environmental Conservation
- DEC's storm debris guidance: nonworking refrigerators, freezers and air conditioners need Freon or other refrigerant removed by a certified technician before recycling. Checked October 26, 2026.
- Refrigerant must be removed from refrigerators, freezers and air conditioners by a certified technician before they are recycled (DEC storm debris guidance). Checked October 26, 2026.
NYSDEC: Household Hazardous Waste (HHW) (opens in new tab) · New York State Department of Environmental Conservation
- Household hazardous wastes are household materials that would be regulated as hazardous waste if generated elsewhere; household-generated HHW is exempt from state and federal hazardous waste rules. Checked October 26, 2026.
- Residents can take HHW to authorized HHW collection facilities or HHW collection events hosted by counties and municipalities; DEC has a map and list of permitted facilities. Checked October 26, 2026.
- If there is no permitted facility nearby, check with your municipality for periodic one- or two-day HHW collection events. Checked October 26, 2026.
- The state Environmental Protection Fund can pay up to 50 percent of the cost of municipal HHW collection programs. Checked October 26, 2026.
NY General Municipal Law 120-AA: Source separation and segregation of recyclable or reuseable materials (opens in new tab) · New York State Senate (Open Legislation)
- General Municipal Law 120-aa required every municipality, by September 1, 1992, to adopt a local law requiring source separation of recyclables (paper, glass, metals, plastics, yard waste) where economic markets exist. Checked October 26, 2026.
NYSDEC: Recycling Resources (opens in new tab) · New York State Department of Environmental Conservation
- DEC tells residents to check local guidance to see which items their program accepts. Checked October 26, 2026.
NYSDEC: Recycling and Composting (opens in new tab) · New York State Department of Environmental Conservation
- DEC lists New York collection programs for items that belong outside the recycling bin: beverage containers, carpet, cell phones, e-waste, lead-acid vehicle batteries, mercury thermostats, paint, pharmaceuticals, plastic film, rechargeable batteries and tires. Checked October 26, 2026.
Tompkins County RMM: Permits and Fees (2026) (opens in new tab) · Tompkins County Recycling and Materials Management
- Permits may be purchased only by Tompkins County residents and businesses; a residential permit is $30 (2026). Checked October 26, 2026.
- If a material has a fee, a permit is required; refrigerant units are $20 per unit. Checked October 26, 2026.
Tompkins County RMM: Additional Recyclables at the RSWC (opens in new tab) · Tompkins County Recycling and Materials Management
- Refrigerant units (refrigerators, freezers, ACs, dehumidifiers, water coolers): a refrigerant removal fee per unit unless proof of removal is provided. Checked October 26, 2026.
- Refrigerant units accepted: refrigerators, freezers, air conditioners, dehumidifiers and water coolers. Checked October 26, 2026.

“Checked” means we read the official page on that date. Things can change, so call before you go.

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