How to get rid of a refrigerator, freezer or air conditioner in Massachusetts

Checked November 2026 · by JUNKRUN, Melrose MA

Banned from trash (white goods)

Flat illustration of an orange and navy two-door refrigerator with the freezer door open beside a small window air conditioner.

Short answer. A working fridge or freezer is the one appliance someone will pay you to take: Mass Save's sponsors pick it up free and pay a $75 rebate. If it does not work, towns charge $15 to about $28 per unit or run a scheduled pickup, and the refrigerant (Freon) has to be recovered by a pro before it is scrapped. JunkRun takes a fridge or freezer for $149 from any floor, Freon recovery included, $159 minimum.

Deadline for the Eversource fridge rebate: December 31, 2026. The free pickup and $75 rebate need the pickup to happen by then, so book now and allow 6 to 8 weeks for the check (Eversource). The 2027 offer is not posted yet.

The Massachusetts and federal rules

Two layers apply. State: "White Goods" are on the waste ban list in 310 CMR 19.017(3) (effective December 31, 1991), and MassDEP defines them as refrigerators, freezers, dishwashers, clothes washers, clothes dryers, gas or electric ovens and ranges, and hot water heaters. They cannot go in the trash. Federal: under EPA's Clean Air Act Section 608 rule, the final disposer of appliances is responsible for recovering any refrigerant. That covers refrigerators, freezers, window air conditioners and dehumidifiers. If someone else recovers it, EPA requires a signed statement with their name, address and the recovery date. EPA also warns that appliances left curbside might be landfilled or disposed of in an unsafe manner, which is why towns want doors off and a scheduled pickup.

Practical rules every town repeats: empty it, remove the doors on fridges and freezers (child-safety), and never smash or cut the coolant lines.

Free or cheap options

Mass Save pickup, free plus $75. For an inefficient, working fridge or freezer, Mass Save offers a no-cost pickup and a $75 rebate, plus $30 for an inefficient working dehumidifier picked up with it. Rules: inside size 10 to 30 cubic feet, working (cooling), empty and plugged in, doors removed before it goes outside, water line disconnected, and at most two units per equipment type per electric account per calendar year. Schedule online or by phone; allow 6 to 8 weeks for the rebate. Deadline: Eversource's page says the pickup must happen by December 31, 2026 to qualify for the $75 rebate, so book now. The 2027 terms are not posted yet; check masssave.com in January. Eversource customers can call 508-409-5311 (Eversource page); other Mass Save sponsors use the same Mass Save page.
Town scheduled pickup. Boston picks up fridges, freezers, ACs and dehumidifiers by appointment as special items, doors off and food out (boston.gov).
Donate a working unit. Habitat's Greater Boston ReStore wants refrigerators and appliances less than eight years old, in working order, by drop-off or in-home pickup.
Retailer haul-away. Many appliance retailers haul the old unit when they deliver a new one; ask and get the price in writing.

Typical municipal fees (checked November 2026)

Town	Fridge / freezer / AC	How	Source
Winchester	$15 per "freon unit" (AC, dehumidifier, freezer, refrigerator, water or wine cooler)	Transfer Station, permit	winchester.us
Saugus	$20 Red Sticker per white good	Call Capitol 855-533-3400, collected on Wednesdays, doors off	Saugus brochure
Stoneham	$20 per white-goods item (door removed)	Stevens Street Recycling Center, white goods permit, Stoneham trash customers only	stoneham-ma.gov
Peabody	$20 White Goods Sticker per item	Contractor pickup (781-289-0500) or drop-off at 50 Farm Ave	Peabody flyer
Medford	$27.85 per item	WM, schedule and pay at 800-972-4545, Tuesdays only	Medford 2026-27 guide
Boston	No fee published; 10 special items per calendar year, 5 per appointment	boston.gov or 311, doors off, food out	boston.gov
Waltham	Fee not stated	Capitol 855-533-3400, call by 3:30 pm the day before, doors off	city.waltham.ma.us
Reading	Fee paid to Republic in advance, amount not listed	Republic 800-442-9006	readingma.gov
Lynn	Curbside bulk pickup is $20 per item via Capitol 855-533-3400; the white goods page lists no separate price	Bulky Waste Item Days are free; check the city calendar	Lynn bulky page, white goods
Malden	Not published; call DPW 781-397-7160	Waste Wizard	cityofmalden.org

Winchester
Fridge / freezer / AC
$15 per "freon unit" (AC, dehumidifier, freezer, refrigerator, water or wine cooler)
How
Transfer Station, permit
Source
winchester.us
Saugus
Fridge / freezer / AC
$20 Red Sticker per white good
How
Call Capitol 855-533-3400, collected on Wednesdays, doors off
Source
Saugus brochure
Stoneham
Fridge / freezer / AC
$20 per white-goods item (door removed)
How
Stevens Street Recycling Center, white goods permit, Stoneham trash customers only
Source
stoneham-ma.gov
Peabody
Fridge / freezer / AC
$20 White Goods Sticker per item
How
Contractor pickup (781-289-0500) or drop-off at 50 Farm Ave
Source
Peabody flyer
Medford
Fridge / freezer / AC
$27.85 per item
How
WM, schedule and pay at 800-972-4545, Tuesdays only
Source
Medford 2026-27 guide
Boston
Fridge / freezer / AC
No fee published; 10 special items per calendar year, 5 per appointment
How
boston.gov or 311, doors off, food out
Source
boston.gov
Waltham
Fridge / freezer / AC
Fee not stated
How
Capitol 855-533-3400, call by 3:30 pm the day before, doors off
Source
city.waltham.ma.us
Reading
Fridge / freezer / AC
Fee paid to Republic in advance, amount not listed
How
Republic 800-442-9006
Source
readingma.gov
Lynn
Fridge / freezer / AC
Curbside bulk pickup is $20 per item via Capitol 855-533-3400; the white goods page lists no separate price
How
Bulky Waste Item Days are free; check the city calendar
Source
Lynn bulky page, white goods
Malden
Fridge / freezer / AC
Not published; call DPW 781-397-7160
How
Waste Wizard
Source
cityofmalden.org

DIY or hauled?

DIY is realistic only for a mini fridge or window AC: they fit an SUV and the Freon is the only legal step (town drop-off or a recycler handles it). A full-size fridge is a two-person lift on a hand truck with a strap; remove the doors (towns require it) and tape the shelves.

Hauled: any full-size unit, anything upstairs or in a basement, and any time your town has no pickup. Ask whether the hauler recovers or documents the refrigerant. JunkRun's price includes Freon recovery.

What JunkRun charges (checked November 2026 at junkrun.co/pricing)

Item	JunkRun price	Note
Small appliance (mini fridge, window AC, microwave, dehumidifier)	$79	Freon recovery included
Large appliance (refrigerator, chest freezer, double oven)	$149	Freon recovery included

Small appliance (mini fridge, window AC, microwave, dehumidifier)
JunkRun price
$79
Note
Freon recovery included
Large appliance (refrigerator, chest freezer, double oven)
JunkRun price
$149
Note
Freon recovery included

$159 minimum pickup. A full-size fridge is $149 but the minimum is $159, so add a second item: fridge ($149) plus a window AC ($79) is $228, one trip. These are posted flat prices.

Quick answers

Is it illegal to put a refrigerator on the curb in Massachusetts?

White goods, including refrigerators and freezers, are on the state waste ban list and cannot go in the trash (310 CMR 19.017). Many towns collect them only by sticker or appointment with the doors removed, so set one out only as your town directs.

Do I have to remove the doors?

Saugus, Waltham, Boston and Stoneham all require the doors off a fridge or freezer. Mass Save asks for doors removed before the unit goes outside for pickup.

Will anyone pay me to take an old fridge?

Mass Save gives a $75 rebate with a free pickup for an inefficient, working fridge or freezer of 10 to 30 cubic feet. Check masssave.com for the current year's terms.

Who removes the Freon?

EPA says the final disposer of the appliance is responsible for recovering the refrigerant, and a signed statement is required if someone else does it (EPA). JunkRun's price includes Freon recovery.