Refrigerator Recycling in Rochester, NY

Rochester picks up refrigerators at the curb (doors off); ecopark also takes them for $20.

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

3 ways to get rid of a refrigerator in Rochester

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

CurbCycle PickupPickup from your home · RochesterNo 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 →
Monroe County ecopark (10 Avion Drive)County service · Monroe CountyMonroe County residents$20
How it works
County "one stop drop off" run with WM at 10 Avion Drive, Rochester, NY 14624, for Monroe County residents only. Open Wednesday 1–6:30 p.m. and Saturday 7:30 a.m.–1 p.m. No appointment for electronics, TVs, appliances, tires, scrap metal, rechargeable batteries and recycling; household hazardous waste (including paint) by appointment. Fees (card only): refrigerant appliances $20, tires $7–$40. Self-serve unloading.
Cost & rules
Fees
Refrigerant-containing appliance $20
- Self-serve: unload your own items. Monroe County residents only.
Official page (opens in new tab)
City of Rochester curbside bulk refuse and recyclingCity service · RochesterRochester residentsCost not listed
How it works
City refuse customers place bulk items (household furniture, bedding and mattresses, large appliances) and household tires at the curb by 6:30 a.m. on the regular refuse day; remove doors from refrigerators. Recycling takes clean flattened cardboard. Refuse fees are on the annual tax bill; On-Demand extra pickups have an $80 minimum for 3+ cubic yards. Call 311.
Cost & rules
- Before you go: Remove the doors.
Official page (opens in new tab)

Fees
Refrigerant-containing appliance	$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 (17)

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.
Monroe County: ecopark (opens in new tab) · Monroe County Department of Environmental Services
- ecopark is for use by Monroe County residents only. Checked October 26, 2026.
Monroe County: Household Appliances (opens in new tab) · Monroe County Department of Environmental Services
- Refrigerant-containing appliances (refrigerators, freezers, air conditioners, water coolers, dehumidifiers) are $20 per appliance, credit/debit only. Checked October 26, 2026.
- Recycling stations are self-serve; residents unload their own items. Checked October 26, 2026.
- Monroe County notes City of Rochester residents can place appliances at the curb for regular refuse pickup; call 311 for details. Checked October 26, 2026.
City of Rochester: Refuse rules and enforcement (FAQ) (opens in new tab) · City of Rochester Department of Environmental Services
- Bulk refuse such as household furniture, bedding and mattresses, and large appliances may be placed between the sidewalk and curb on collection day; doors must be removed from refrigerators and other latching appliances. Checked October 26, 2026.
City of Rochester: Residential Refuse (opens in new tab) · City of Rochester Department of Environmental Services
- Bulk items (household furniture, bedding and mattresses, large appliances) may be placed at the curb on the normal refuse day. Checked October 26, 2026.
- Residential refuse fees are on the annual tax bill: $399 for a one-unit property. 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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