This guide covers North Carolina and federal rules in plain terms. Local drop-off sites and fees vary by county, so check with your county's solid waste office for details. Get a free quote
The short answer
In North Carolina, large appliances like fridges, washers and stoves can't go in a landfill. The greenest choice is to sell or donate one that still works. If it doesn't work, have the store haul it away when you buy a new one. Or send it to a scrap recycler or a junk removal company that recycles.
An old fridge, washer or stove is too big for the trash can. In North Carolina, it can’t go in the landfill either. The good news is that most of an appliance can be reused or recycled. This guide covers the rules and your best options, in order from greenest to last resort.
Why old appliances need special handling
Appliances are not like a bag of trash. Two things set them apart: state landfill rules and the refrigerant inside some units.
North Carolina bans white goods from landfills
North Carolina calls large appliances “white goods.” State law lists refrigerators, freezers, ranges, water heaters and unit air conditioners. It also lists washers, dryers, dishwashers and other similar large appliances. The same law says no one may knowingly dispose of white goods in a landfill.
The state also charges a $3 disposal tax when you buy a new white good at a store. That money goes back to counties to pay for handling old appliances. So your county likely has a place that takes them. Call your county’s solid waste office to ask where.
Refrigerant has to be recovered
Fridges, freezers, window air conditioners and dehumidifiers hold refrigerant. EPA says the refrigerants in many older units destroy the ozone layer if they get into the air. Federal Clean Air Act rules ban people from venting refrigerant on purpose when they service or throw away these units.
EPA rules say the refrigerant must be recovered before the appliance is scrapped or landfilled. The last stop in the chain, often a scrap metal recycler, is responsible for making sure that happened. They may ask for a signed statement saying who removed the refrigerant and when.
Don’t try to cut lines or drain the refrigerant yourself. It takes recovery equipment that meets EPA standards. EPA points people to a professional, such as someone from an appliance repair shop.
What gets recycled from an old appliance
Most of an appliance is metal, and metal is easy to recycle. EPA says almost all the materials in a fridge or freezer can be recycled. That includes the metal cabinet and the refrigerant and oil in the compressor. In practice, the metal parts are usually separated and recycled. Glass, plastic and foam insulation usually go to a landfill.
Appliances are among the largest sources of steel and iron in household trash, according to EPA. When that metal is recycled, it goes back into use instead of sitting in the ground.
Eco-friendly ways to get rid of an old appliance
Start at the top of this list and work down. The higher options keep more of the appliance in use.
1. Sell or donate it if it still works
A working appliance is worth the most to someone else. You can sell it online or give it to a neighbor, church or charity.
Habitat for Humanity ReStores take some appliances. Habitat says they should be less than 10 years old, in good working order and have all their parts. What each store accepts varies, and many offer pickup for large items. Call your local ReStore to check before you go.
One note on old fridges and freezers: EPA advises against reselling very old units because they use a lot of power. If yours is old and costly to run, recycling may be the greener choice.
2. Ask the store to haul it away when you buy new
If you are replacing an appliance, ask the store about haul-away before you buy. Some retailers pick up the old unit when they deliver the new one. There may be a fee, so ask what it costs and where the old unit goes.
It’s also worth asking your electric company. EPA suggests checking whether your utility has a rebate or turn-in program for old fridges and freezers.
3. Take it to a scrap recycler or county site
If you have a truck and a strong helper, you can haul it yourself. Scrap metal recyclers take many appliances. Your county may also have a white goods drop-off site. Call first and ask:
- Do you take this type of appliance?
- Is there a fee?
- Does the refrigerant need to be removed before I bring it?
Some places will only take a fridge or freezer if the refrigerant is already out. In that case, you may need an appliance repair shop to remove it first.
One thing to avoid: leaving an appliance at the curb and hoping it disappears. EPA warns that curbside appliances might be landfilled or handled in an unsafe way.
4. Hire a junk removal company that recycles
If you can’t move it yourself, a junk removal company can carry it out for you. Not every hauler handles appliances the same way, so ask:
- Where does the appliance go after you pick it up?
- How do you handle fridges, freezers and air conditioners?
- Do you donate working units?
How Medleys handles appliances
Medleys Junk Removal & Hauling is a family-run company based in State Road. We do appliance removal for homes and businesses across Surry, Yadkin, Wilkes, Stokes and Forsyth counties.
Here is what happens to your appliance:
- We carry it out. Basements, upstairs laundry rooms and packed garages are fine. You don’t have to move anything to the curb.
- Working units are donated when possible.
- Metal goes to scrap and recycling, not the landfill. Appliances are mostly metal, and that metal should go back into use.
- Fridges, freezers, window air conditioners and dehumidifiers get proper handling. We route these units so the refrigerant is recovered before the shell is scrapped.
We take refrigerators, freezers, stoves, ranges, dishwashers, microwaves, washers, dryers, water heaters, window air conditioners and dehumidifiers. We also take commercial kitchen equipment. One appliance or a whole kitchen, the process is the same.
We serve towns all across the area, from appliance removal in Mount Airy to appliance removal in Winston-Salem.
What about other items with special rules?
Appliances aren’t the only items with disposal rules. Paint, chemicals, tires, batteries and electronics all need special handling too. See our guide to junk disposal rules for what can and can’t go in the trash.
Get a free quote for appliance pickup
Tell us what the appliance is and where it sits, and send a photo if you can. We’ll give you a free quote and a time. Then we carry it out and haul it off. You don’t lift a thing.
Call or text 336-756-2117, or send the quote form.