Throwing out an old refrigerator in Texas: the freon rules

Refrigerators, freezers and window air conditioners hold refrigerant, the stuff most people still call freon. Federal rules under Section 608 of the Clean Air Act put the job of getting it out on the last person in the disposal chain, usually a scrap recycler or a landfill. They have to make sure the refrigerant was recovered before the unit is crushed or buried.

Here's a detail that trips people up. EPA does not require or accept a sticker as proof that the refrigerant is gone. The final disposer needs a signed statement with the recoverer's name, address and the date. Local programs still use tags, so a tag may satisfy your city crew. It's the paperwork behind it that matters to the scrap yard.

Bottom line: you can't just set a working-coolant fridge on the curb and walk away, and you shouldn't cut the lines yourself.

Bryan's weekly brush and bulky service does take refrigerators, freezers and air conditioners. The city charges a fee to remove and certify the refrigerant, even if the unit is empty, unless it was certified ahead of time. Call the city for the current amount before you set it out.

The appliance still goes out by the regular bulky rules: at the curb by 7 a.m. (6 a.m. in summer), no more than 48 hours early, and five feet from fences, cars and meters.

College Station's bulky pickup covers appliances without freon units. A fridge or freezer only goes if a certified technician has removed the refrigerant and tagged the unit. Untagged freon appliances stay at the curb.

The city also asks you to tape the doors shut. That's a safety step worth taking anywhere. A child or pet can get trapped in an old fridge left outside.

Rules get stricter the farther you get from the two cities:

Whoever moves it, a little prep the day before makes the job safer and cleaner:

Bryan says residents can take refrigerant appliances straight to Twin Oaks Landfill in Anderson for disposal and recycling. College Station residents can bring freon appliances there for a special waste fee. Look up the current fee on the Twin Oaks site before you go.

A fridge is heavy, top-heavy and awkward on a dolly. Strap it upright and secure the load so it can't tip on a turn.

If you'd rather not move a fridge down the steps and onto a trailer, ME3 Junk Solutions handles appliance removal for refrigerators, freezers, washers, dryers and the rest. Freon is handled. Appliance disposal requirements can add to the cost, and that's settled in the price you agree to before anything is loaded.

If you live in Caldwell or elsewhere in Burleson County, where the city or county won't take it, that can be the simplest route. Before the truck shows up, here's how to get ready for a pickup. The Brazos Valley disposal guide has every town's appliance rules in one place.