Your fridge is one of the most important things in your home. Unless you’re a student, it’s the one-stop-shop for most of your food. It also doubles as a place for guests to judge you for what you do and don’t keep in there – like ketchup, potatoes, eggs, or chocolate, because we’re all a bit weird sometimes.
However, you can’t keep food fresh in your fridge-freezer forever. Eventually, they’ll stop working as well as they need to, or break down when you least expect. Annoyingly, getting rid of fridges isn’t easy. They’re huge pieces of kit – some family fridges are taller and heavier than the standard Olympic athlete.
Refrigerators are also full of performance-enhancing chemicals that are harmful to the environment, much like countless Olympic athletes at the 1980 Moscow Games. Luckily, our team at Divert has dealt with many old fridges and recycling them isn’t as difficult as you’d think. Find out how to dispose of a refrigerator and make room for your nice, new fridge.
Fridge Disposal
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What’s the best way to get rid of my broken fridge?
Using a man and van fridge collection service is the quickest and most dependable way to get rid of your fridge. Whatever your predicament or options this ensures your broken fridge is removed and disposed of both safely and in an environmentally conscious way. Much of the time, it could be your most cost-effective option, too. Great reasons include:
- A man and van collection will pick up your fridge from inside your home
- Businesses such as Divert ensure your fridge is recycled properly. If it’s still in good working order or needs minor fixes we can sort those out – if not, we ensure that ultrasonic equipment, vacuums, and other mod cons are used to dispose of harmful chemicals carefully and safely
- If you need to scrap your refrigerator or freezer at short notice, there’s a very good chance we could do it on the day you call
When should I replace my fridge?
The average fridge or freezer starts to show its age and may stop working properly after about ten years. It’s never one specific thing that’ll make you realise you need to scrap your fridge. Here are some of the most common problems you might encounter that make you realise it’s time to replace your fridge:
- Your food’s going off quicker – it’s a sign your fridge can’t maintain the temperatures it’s meant to, which is a big problem for your energy bills too.
- The motor’s hot – the coils on the back of your fridge are insulated, meaning you shouldn’t feel any real heat coming off it. If yours is noticeably warm, chances are they either need replacing, or you’ll have to dispose of your fridge entirely.
- Your fridge or freezer is noisy – some fridges, especially cheaper ones, might be noisy anyway. Magnets, things on top of it, or misbalanced feet may add to that sound problem. However, if it’s problematic once you eliminate these possibilities, you might need to investigate fridge recycling.
- The freezer swallows your food – this is a less common problem nowadays, thanks to automatic defrosting features. But if these fail, or you’ve got a simpler freezer, you should defrost it. If it’s still a problem, it’s time to replace your freezer.
- There’s too much condensation – you really should look at getting rid of your refrigerator. If your fridge looks like it’s sweating inside, you ought to look at the seals – if you’re seeing any signs of mould or mildew inside, or on the rubber seals, you might have to get a new one.
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Partner with peace of mindCan the council pick up my fridge?
Some councils offer a bulky waste collection service that includes fridge removal. However, it depends on where you live and your local authority. There may also be charges for the service and it could only be possible on specific dates – you may find yourself on a waiting list based on a first come basis.
This could mean you could end up paying the council up to £100, depending on the size of your old fridge, and the wait could be much longer than you think. Even then, you might be expected to move your fridge outside on the day of collection – no mean feat, especially if you live alone or aren’t used to lifting something that can often weigh well over 180kg.
Some councils won’t have the facilities or ability to dispose of your old fridge safely or in an environmentally friendly way. They may end up passing your refrigerator on to someone that can.
Can I get rid of my old fridge at the local tip?
You can usually take an old fridge to your local tip or household waste recycling centre (HWRC). Disposing of a fridge or freezer yourself isn’t easy though. You’ll need a car with enough space, the strength to lift it in and out, and be comfortable with the risk of a chemical spill if your refrigerator is on its last legs.
However, it’s important to make sure your nearby HWRC accepts fridges as a surprising number don’t. Those that do may be liable to charge you for scrapping a fridge at their site – it might end up being more trouble than it’s worth, given all your other options.
Should I give my fridge to charity?
Unlike things like old sofas or furniture, fridges come under much greater scrutiny by charities. This is understandable – it’s not worth the time and effort for them to spend fixing or replacing bits of an old fridge-freezer if they don’t make a decent profit on it.
Still, some charities, like the British Heart Foundation, are open to collecting and selling your old fridge, so long as it’s still perfectly usable. Give your local charities a call to find out if they can make use of your old fridge or freezer.
Could I make a profit on an old fridge by selling it – or just give it away?
As with any important household item, you’d be surprised at just how high demand can be for your old fridge. Chances are you can sell it, or at the very least get it collected by someone else in need. Gumtree, Freecycle, and countless other sites will let you list your fridge or freezer for nothing. If it’s still in relatively decent working order, you could get a handful of notes out of it.
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We pride ourselves on being open and transparent.Will an electricals seller take my old fridge?
Many businesses who sell you a new refrigerator will take your old one away as one of the better options for fridge removal. It’s worth noting that more often than not, it’ll be for an extra fee. It’s a handy service if you’re effectively doing a like-for-like swap and replacing your old refrigerator.
However, it’s not always ideal, especially if the fridge has completely broken and is a genuine health hazard – something you often can’t know, short of having a Geiger counter to hand.
Can I put a fridge in a skip?
You can put a fridge in a skip, but we’d recommend you avoid putting your old fridge in a skip, for a few reasons:
- Firstly, skips are really expensive – multiple times the cost of a man and van collection service.
- There’s no guarantee that your fridge would fit under the fill level of smaller skip rentals, given their length, which can lead to extra costs.
- Skips are one of the worst things you can hire for the environment, thanks to the pair of huge lorry trips needed to drop them off and pick them up.
- You also can’t guarantee that the firm you’re using to hire a skip will do the right thing with your old fridge once they’ve carted it away.
How to dispose of a refrigerator with Divert
Getting rid of fridges you no longer need from your home or business is easy with Divert. Start by requesting a free no obligation quote for fridge removal. Simply let us know the size and number of fridges you’re getting rid of, where from, and when you want them gone for a tailored price.
We’ll advise on whether we can collect and dispose of your fridge. If we can, we’ll likely send out one of our vans with a couple of guys who’ll lift and load your old fridge into the van and take it to a waste management facility for sorting and recycling. Call 0333 444 0118 or contact us online to arrange fridge collection today.
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- All types of fridges
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