REFRIGERATOR REMOVAL & DISPOSAL IN PRESCOTT, AZ
Need to get rid of an old refrigerator or freezer? Copper State Junk Removal & Hauling provides fast, responsible refrigerator removal throughout Prescott, Prescott Valley, Chino Valley, and surrounding Yavapai County communities. Whether your refrigerator still works, has stopped working, or has been sitting in the garage for years, we’ll handle the heavy lifting, transportation, refrigerant removal when required, and proper reuse or recycling. Most residential refrigerator pickups range from $125–$165, with same- or next-day service often available.
Where Can I Get Rid of an Old Refrigerator Near Me?
If you're trying to get rid of a refrigerator in Prescott, Prescott Valley, Chino Valley, or elsewhere in Yavapai County, you have several options.
The best option depends mainly on whether the refrigerator still works, whether you can transport it yourself, and what your time is worth.
If the refrigerator still works
Don't scrap a usable refrigerator if someone else can use it.
Your cheapest options are usually to:
Sell it yourself.
List it for free on Facebook Marketplace or another local marketplace.
Donate it to an organization willing to accept it.
Deliver it to a donation center yourself.
At Copper State Junk Removal & Hauling, we follow the same approach. When we remove a refrigerator that still works and is in usable condition, we try to resell it first and donate it if it doesn't sell.
Recycling is the next option when reuse no longer makes sense.
What If My Refrigerator Doesn't Work?
A broken refrigerator is more complicated than most other scrap-metal appliances because it contains refrigerant that must be properly recovered before final disposal or recycling.
EPA rules require the final disposer of refrigerators and similar appliances to ensure that refrigerant has been properly recovered. When refrigerant is removed before the appliance reaches the final processor, documentation identifying who performed the recovery and when it was performed is required.
For a homeowner who owns a pickup or trailer and wants the cheapest DIY option, the process is generally:
Have the refrigerant properly recovered and documented, then transport the refrigerator to an appropriate local scrap-metal recycler.
That will usually cost less than hiring a junk-removal company because you're providing the labor and transportation yourself.
Can I Take a Refrigerator to the Prescott Transfer Station?
Yes, but there is an important requirement.
The City of Prescott Transfer Station accepts refrigerators and other CFC-containing appliances only when they are accompanied by documentation from a professional showing that the refrigerant has been evacuated. The city's current disposal information specifically states that refrigerators and similar appliances require a professional CFC-removal invoice.
The City currently lists appliance disposal at $20 for up to 400 pounds, then $4.95 per additional 100 pounds, based on its posted $106-per-ton rate. Confirm current rates before making a special trip because municipal pricing can change.
Can I Take a Refrigerator to a Scrap Yard?
Potentially, yes.
Local scrap-metal recyclers are another option after the refrigerant has been properly recovered. Copper State works with local scrap outlets including U-Pick-It, Yavapai Metal Recycling, and Prescott Salvage and Recycling depending on the material and circumstances.
U-Pick-It publicly identifies its Prescott Valley location as a metal recycler accepting ferrous steel scrap.
If you're disposing of a refrigerator yourself, call the recycler before loading it and confirm its current appliance-acceptance and refrigerant-documentation requirements.
Why Isn't My Broken Refrigerator Worth Free Pickup?
This is one of the biggest misconceptions we encounter.
A refrigerator contains recyclable steel, copper, aluminum, and other metals, so people sometimes assume the scrap value should be enough for someone to pick it up for free.
In Yavapai County, the economics don't usually work that way.
Scrap collected locally still has to be transported to the Phoenix area for processing. That transportation cost is part of the reason scrap metal generally has less pickup value here than it may in a large metropolitan area with processors nearby.
A broken refrigerator also requires more handling than an ordinary piece of steel.
For Copper State, the process can include:
Pickup → transportation to our warehouse → staging → refrigerant recovery → transportation to a local scrap yard → transport to Phoenix for processing
The value of the metal doesn't cover all of that labor, transportation, and refrigerant handling.
That's why refrigerator removal is a paid service rather than free scrap pickup.
What Happens to a Refrigerator After Copper State Picks It Up?
We don't simply take refrigerators directly to the landfill.
Every refrigerator comes back to our warehouse so we can determine the appropriate next step.
1. Reuse comes first
If the refrigerator works and is in usable condition, we try to resell it.
If it doesn't sell, we try to donate it.
2. Non-working refrigerators are staged for refrigerant recovery
For units that need to be recycled, we hire a local HVAC company to properly recover the refrigerant.
Our refrigerant recovery and additional handling cost is $40 per unit.
3. The refrigerator goes to a local scrap recycler
After refrigerant recovery, the appliance is transported to an appropriate local scrap-metal yard.
4. The metal is processed
Appliances are eventually shredded through industrial processing equipment such as hammermills. The material is broken into smaller pieces so recoverable metals can be separated.
The EPA describes refrigerator recycling similarly: refrigerant and hazardous components are removed first, the evacuated appliance is shredded, and metal components are separated for recycling.
Steel, copper, aluminum, and other valuable metals can then return to the commodity stream rather than simply being treated as household trash.
How Much Does Refrigerator Removal Cost?
For most residential curbside refrigerator pickups, Copper State charges approximately:
$125–$165
The biggest factors are:
Your location
Whether the refrigerator still works
Whether refrigerant recovery is required
How much labor is required to remove the appliance
For many non-working refrigerators, the upper end of that range includes our $40 refrigerant recovery and handling cost.
Commercial refrigerators, commercial freezers, large refrigeration equipment, and A/C systems are quoted separately.
What Makes Refrigerator Removal Cost More?
The easiest and least expensive refrigerator pickup is an appliance that is already:
Empty
Unplugged
Disconnected from the water line
Easily accessible
At the curb, driveway, garage, or another simple pickup location
Anything that adds labor can increase the cost.
Common examples include stairs, narrow doorways, dismantling, disconnecting water lines, removing doors, long carries, cleaning out food, and moving oversized appliances from difficult locations.
We can handle those things. Just understand that you're paying for the additional labor required.
What If My Refrigerator Is Still Full of Food?
We'll still take it.
However, refrigerator contents add another disposal stream to the job.
Instead of simply handling a recyclable appliance, we now have to remove and dispose of the food and trash separately before the refrigerator can continue through the recycling process.
That additional labor and disposal increases the cost.
If you're trying to keep your pickup price as low as possible, empty and clean the refrigerator before we arrive.
How Should I Prepare a Refrigerator for Pickup?
If you want the lowest possible pickup cost:
Remove all food and trash.
Unplug the refrigerator.
Disconnect the water line if it has an ice maker or water dispenser.
Remove or secure loose shelving and drawers.
Move the refrigerator to the curb, driveway, garage, or another easily accessible location if you can do so safely.
You don't have to do all of that yourself. We can handle inside removal, disconnection, stairs, tight spaces, and other obstacles.
It just requires more labor.
Can I Put a Refrigerator in a Dumpster?
Don't put a refrigerator in your regular household trash, commercial dumpster, or roll-off and assume the waste hauler will handle it.
Refrigerated appliances are subject to special refrigerant-handling requirements and are commonly managed separately from ordinary municipal solid waste. EPA rules place responsibility on the final disposer to ensure refrigerant is recovered before final disposal.
Even after refrigerant recovery, your waste hauler or disposal facility may have separate handling requirements for appliances.
When in doubt, call your waste company before putting any appliance into a dumpster.
I would use this wording rather than “it is illegal to put any refrigerator in any dumpster.” Your operational experience may be that your local haulers prohibit it, but I could not substantiate a blanket federal or Arizona prohibition that applies to every dumpster once refrigerant has been removed.
Is It Cheaper to Get Rid of a Refrigerator Myself?
Yes.
If you have a truck or trailer, someone to help you move the refrigerator, and enough time to arrange refrigerant recovery and transport it to the appropriate recycling or disposal facility, DIY disposal will usually cost less than professional pickup.
Our service isn't for everyone.
The better question is:
What is your time worth?
When you hire Copper State, we can often provide same- or next-day service. Once we arrive, a straightforward refrigerator pickup can be completed within minutes.
You don't have to:
Find someone to help lift it
Borrow or use your own truck
Drive to a disposal facility
Arrange the recycling yourself
Figure out refrigerant handling
Spend part of your day making the round trip
For many of our customers, getting that time back is worth the $125–$165 single-item pickup fee.
Responsible Appliance Disposal
Refrigerators aren't the only appliances we recycle.
Many household appliances contain steel, copper, aluminum, electric motors, wiring, and other recoverable materials.
We remove:
Refrigerators & freezers
Washers & dryers
Dishwashers
Stoves & ovens
Microwaves
Water heaters
Window A/C units
Portable air conditioners
Residential appliances
Commercial equipment — call for pricing
For refrigerant-containing appliances, we make sure the refrigerant is addressed before the equipment proceeds through the recycling process.
Junk Removal That’s Good for Your Home and the Planet
We treat every haul like it matters—because it does. From Chino Valley to Cottonwood, we’re committed to doing junk removal the right way, with honesty, responsibility, and care for the community we call home.
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n the Prescott area, your options include selling or donating a working refrigerator, having refrigerant recovered and taking a broken unit to a local scrap recycler, using the City of Prescott Transfer Station with the required refrigerant-removal documentation, or hiring Copper State Junk Removal & Hauling to handle the entire process.
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Copper State Junk Removal & Hauling’s typical residential curbside refrigerator pickup is $125–$165, depending primarily on location and whether refrigerant recovery is required. Stairs, cleanout, disconnection, dismantling, long carries, or difficult access can increase the price.
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Yes. We remove refrigerators from kitchens, garages, basements, apartments, rental properties, and other locations. Additional labor may apply when stairs, tight doorways, dismantling, or long carries are involved.
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Yes. We can clean out and remove the contents, but additional charges apply because the food and trash must be separated from the recyclable appliance and handled through a different disposal stream.
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No. Copper State Junk Removal & Hauling can arrange refrigerant recovery as part of the disposal process.
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We try to reuse before recycling. Working refrigerators are typically offered for resale first and donation second rather than immediately being scrapped.
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Yes, provided you comply with the recycler's requirements. The refrigerant must be properly recovered before final disposal, and the receiving recycler may require documentation. EPA requires the final disposer to verify proper refrigerant recovery.
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Yes, but the City states that CFC-containing appliances must be accompanied by proof from a professional that the refrigerant has been evacuated.
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Often, yes. Same-day or next-day appliance removal is frequently available depending on location and scheduling.
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Yes, but residential single-item pricing does not generally apply to commercial refrigeration equipment. Call for commercial pricing.