How to Get Rid of an Old Refrigerator in Lakeland FL: 6 Ways

If you need to get rid of an old refrigerator in Lakeland, you have six realistic options: let the retailer haul it away when the new fridge is delivered, put it at the curb for the City of Lakeland's weekly bulk pickup, drop it at a scrap metal recycler, donate it if it still runs, take it to the county landfill if you live outside city limits, or call Junk By Tuck and we carry it out from wherever it sits for $130. The right choice mostly comes down to one question: can you get the fridge to the curb yourself?

A full-size refrigerator weighs 200 to 350 pounds, and every free option assumes it is already outside. Below we rank each option by effort and cost, cover why the refrigerant inside matters, and explain how to prep the fridge.

Which refrigerator disposal option is right for you?

Here is the short version. Details on each follow.

What does each option actually involve?

Option 1: Let the retailer haul it away

If you are buying a new refrigerator, ask about haul-away before you check out. Most big-box stores and appliance dealers take the old unit when they deliver the new one, free or for a modest fee.

Two catches. Some retailers only take the fridge if it is disconnected, empty and easy to reach, and many will not take a second unit from the garage. Ask exactly what is included before delivery day.

Option 2: City of Lakeland weekly bulk pickup

If you live inside Lakeland city limits, the City runs a knuckle-boom (claw) truck for bulk items every week on your regular trash day, and you do not need to schedule anything. Each address gets four free yard waste or bulk junk collections per calendar year, up to 20 cubic yards each. Beyond four, call the City at 863-834-8773 and fees apply. The City's rules are on its large bulk pickup page.

The part people miss: the fridge has to be at the curb. The City does not collect from inside the house or the garage. Set it in front of the residence, separate from your trash carts, away from mailboxes, hydrants, poles and trees, and never in the gutter or over a storm drain. Keep it in a separate pile from any yard waste or both may be skipped.

Refrigerators are not on the City's published do-not-collect list (dirt, shingles, concrete, hazardous materials, televisions and e-waste), but call the number above if you want to be certain first.

Option 3: Unincorporated Polk County

Plenty of "Lakeland" mailing addresses are actually unincorporated Polk County, including many homes off Kathleen Road, in Medulla and toward Highland City. If the county's contractor collects your trash, the City rules do not apply. Check the Polk County Solid Waste page for your collection options, or take the fridge to the North Central Landfill at 7425 De Castro Road, Winter Haven, open Monday to Friday 7 a.m. to 5 p.m. and Saturday 7:30 a.m. to 12:30 p.m. Fees vary by material and weight, so confirm the current rate on the county page or by calling (863) 284-4319.

Option 4: Scrap metal recycler

A refrigerator is mostly steel, and scrap yards around Polk County generally accept one, sometimes for a few dollars, sometimes for free. Call ahead, because yards differ on whether they take units with the refrigerant still in them. You need a pickup, a dolly and a second person.

Option 5: Donate a working refrigerator

A clean fridge that runs well can still help someone. Some thrift stores and community organizations accept working appliances, and a few will pick up, but policies vary and change often, so call before you move it.

Option 6: Hire Junk By Tuck

We are the option for the fridge nobody wants to lift. Our appliance removal service starts at the 1/8 load rate of $130, which covers a refrigerator plus a couple of other items, say a microwave and a broken chair. That price includes carrying it out from any room, loading, hauling and all disposal fees, with no fuel surcharge or travel fee, and we confirm the price before anything goes on the truck.

Same-day pickup is available when you reach us early in the day, at the same price. Text a photo of the fridge and your ZIP code to (888) 296-8825 for an exact price, anywhere in Lakeland, Polk County or eastern Hillsborough.

Why does refrigerant matter when you throw out a fridge?

Every refrigerator, freezer and AC unit holds refrigerant in a sealed system. Section 608 of the Clean Air Act requires that refrigerant be recovered by a certified technician before the appliance is scrapped, per the EPA's safe disposal requirements. Venting it is illegal, and depending on the type it damages the ozone layer or adds to greenhouse gases.

Practically, that means two things. Do not cut the lines or pull the compressor yourself to make the fridge lighter or to sell the copper; venting refrigerant can bring a fine, and the oil that comes out with it is a mess.

Why not just leave the fridge at the curb for a while?

We see this a lot in older Lakeland neighborhoods like Dixieland and Lake Morton, where the spare fridge lived on the porch. Someone drags it to the curb, misses trash day, and it sits.

Three problems. Florida heat turns a closed, unplugged fridge into an oven, and any residue inside starts to smell within a day. A fridge that sits for weeks draws ants, roaches, wasps and rodents. Most serious, an abandoned refrigerator with the door still attached is a suffocation hazard for children. Florida Statute 823.07 makes it unlawful to abandon or discard a refrigerator, freezer or similar airtight unit with an interior capacity of 1.5 cubic feet or more without removing the door.

Put a fridge out the night before your trash day, not a week ahead. If it will sit longer, take the door off or strap it shut, and remember your HOA may have its own opinion about appliances in the front yard.

How do you prep a refrigerator for pickup?

The same steps apply whoever is picking it up.

1. Empty it completely, including the crisper drawers, door bins and the back of the freezer.
2. Defrost it. Unplug the unit 24 hours ahead and put towels around the base. A frost-caked freezer can dump a gallon of water on the floor as it warms up.
3. Disconnect the water line. If the ice maker is plumbed in, shut off the valve and disconnect the line so it does not spray when the unit moves.
4. Secure or remove the doors. Tape them shut for transport; if the fridge will sit outside, remove them or strap them closed for child safety.
5. Clear the path. Move rugs, pet bowls and furniture out of the route to the door.

If you are hiring us, skip steps 3 through 5. We handle the disconnect, the doors and the carry, and we have moved plenty of side-by-sides down narrow staircases in Lakeland's older two-story homes.

What happens to your fridge after Junk By Tuck takes it?

We sort everything we haul the same way: donate first, recycle second, landfill last. A working fridge goes to a donation partner if one will take it. A dead fridge goes to a licensed facility where a certified technician recovers the refrigerant and compressor oil in compliance with EPA Section 608, and then the steel cabinet, copper tubing and aluminum are separated and recycled as scrap metal.

What is left, mostly foam insulation and plastic trim, is the only part that reaches a landfill. Read more on our eco-friendly disposal page.

Written by Tuck

Owner-operator of Junk By Tuck LLC in Lakeland. Tuck has personally hauled 450+ jobs across Polk and Hillsborough Counties and answers the phone himself. More about Tuck