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A public resource guide
Free refrigerator removal in El Paso, TX
Citizen Collection Stations take appliances free with your water bill.
Checked against El Paso Environmental Services
Home › By item › Refrigerator › El Paso
A public resource guide
Citizen Collection Stations take appliances free with your water bill.
Checked against El Paso Environmental Services
5
Citizen Collection Stations, free with a recent El Paso Water bill and matching ID
4
free station visits per household per month
8
tires without rims accepted per household per year at the stations
Every route for a refrigerator in El Paso, checked in October 2026 against the city’s current rules and the drop-off sites named. The full El Paso guide covers every other item.
Here is how each route works in El Paso, starting with the city program and ending with paid pickup.
El Paso special collection and Citizen Collection Stations: refrigerators
Scheduled pickup; confirm feeThe city collects refrigerators and freezers only if they are clean, empty, odor-free, doors removed, and the refrigerant has already been removed. Citizen Collection Stations accept appliances from residents, which is usually the easier route.
Who qualifies: Households with City of El Paso Environmental Services trash service, billed through El Paso Water. Apartments use private haulers.
How to schedule: Two routes. Scheduled special collection: call Environmental Services at 915-212-6000 or 311 to request a bulky pickup; the city code allows a fee for on-call bulk collection, so confirm the cost when you book. Free route: take items to one of the five Citizen Collection Stations with a recent El Paso Water bill and matching ID, up to 4 visits a month.
Limits: Citizen Collection Stations: free for residents who pay the monthly solid waste fee, 4 visits per month, 8 tires without rims per year. Special collection item lists apply; refrigerators must have refrigerant removed.
Set-out: For a scheduled special collection, items go at the curb in front of your home by 6 a.m. on the day given, 5 feet from carts, mailboxes, meters, cars, and trees, not blocking the sidewalk. Nothing goes out without a scheduled date.
El Paso Citizen Collection Stations: refrigerators
Free with water bill and IDAppliances accepted.
Where: Northeast 4501 Hondo Pass, Central 2492 Harrison, Westside 121 Atlantic, Mission Valley 1034 Pendale, Eastside 3510 Confederate
How it works: Free for El Paso residents paying the solid waste fee: bring a water bill dated within 3 months and ID matching the address. Up to 4 visits a month. Household trash, furniture, appliances, tires without rims (8 a year), yard waste, electronics, and household hazardous waste. No contractors or businesses.
Donation pickup in El Paso (usable refrigerators)
FreeSalvation Army Family Store, free pickup for furniture and large donations. They also accept gently used mattresses for free pickup. For clothing and household items, 5+ boxes or bags are required for a pickup dispatch. Drop-off at 3920 Morehead or 4300 E. Paisano. Schedule by calling the store.
Habitat for Humanity ReStore El Paso, accepts furniture, appliances, and building materials for free. habitatelpaso.org/habitat-restore
Freemoval (free pickups through partner organizations)
FreeFreemoval funds free junk removal and cleanouts for households referred by trusted partner organizations, such as nonprofits, housing programs, and senior services. Families don’t apply directly. A partner submits the request and vouches for the need.
Status in El Paso: Not yet available. Freemoval currently serves metro Atlanta and plans to expand nationwide.
How it works where it operates: One free pickup per household, covering refrigerators, furniture, appliances, and bulk household items within standard LoadUp marketplace service. Funded by LoadUp customer round-ups and direct contributions, spent at standard LoadUp rates.
If you run a nonprofit or housing program in El Paso: you can start the conversation now through the For partners page.
El Paso is one of the few major U.S. cities where curbside bulky item pickup is not free. The City charges $35 for the first 5 cubic yards of curbside bulky service, which creates a real cost barrier for lower-income households and contributes to El Paso’s illegal dumping problem. The good news: El Paso operates five free Citizen Collection Stations where residents can self-haul trash, bulky items, HHW, and electronics at no charge (with a water bill and ID). This guide covers every disposal option for El Paso residents, with specific rules for each pathway.
The El Paso rule for refrigerators: The city collects refrigerators and freezers only if they are clean, empty, odor-free, doors removed, and the refrigerant has already been removed. Citizen Collection Stations accept appliances from residents, which is usually the easier route.
Program basics: Citizen Collection Stations: free for residents who pay the monthly solid waste fee, 4 visits per month, 8 tires without rims per year. Special collection item lists apply; refrigerators must have refrigerant removed. For a scheduled special collection, items go at the curb in front of your home by 6 a.m. on the day given, 5 feet from carts, mailboxes, meters, cars, and trees, not blocking the sidewalk. Nothing goes out without a scheduled date.
What the city will not take: Tires (curbside), compressed gas cylinders, titled vehicles and trailers, commercial material, and recyclables. Refrigerators and freezers are accepted only clean, odor-free, doors off, with refrigerant removed.
How we checked this. The rules on this page were verified in October 2026 against: City of El Paso Environmental Services: Special Collections (bulky item pickups), City of El Paso: Citizen Collection Stations. Programs change; confirm fees and limits before you go.
Why refrigerators are different from ordinary bulk. The challenge with refrigerators is regulatory complexity, not bulk volume. Federal law (Clean Air Act Section 608) requires certified technicians to recover refrigerants, this CANNOT be done at the curb by a regular pickup crew.
Three mistakes that get refrigerators left at the curb:
When free options don’t fit your timeline or you don’t have a new appliance to swap with:
LoadUp paid refrigerator pickup
$80+For El Paso households who need same-day or in-home pickup, can’t self-haul to a CCS, have more than 5 cubic yards to dispose of, or want full-service crew-based hauling, LoadUp connects you with independent loaders in the El Paso area for upfront-priced pickup.
What’s included: Loading, hauling, and licensed disposal of your refrigerator. No prep needed beyond pointing out what goes.
Pricing: Starts around $80 for a single item; full-truck pickups range from $300 to $600 depending on volume.
If you can pay for a pickup, your booking helps fund free pickups for someone else. Every paid LoadUp customer can opt in to round up at checkout, and 100% of round-ups go directly to Freemoval’s subsidized jobs.
Book refrigerator pickup in El Paso with LoadUp → Round-up option appears at checkout. Optional, opt-in only.
Rules change at city limits. If you are outside El Paso proper, start with the guide for your own city:
Related guides: the complete El Paso junk removal guide (every item type, city services, hazardous waste, and how to report dumping) and the national refrigerator disposal guide with rules for all 117 cities we cover.
Other free removal guides for El Paso: mattress, couch, washer and dryer, furniture, tv and electronics, dresser, bed frame and box spring, dishwasher.
Does El Paso pick up refrigerators for free?
Only with doors off and refrigerant removed for special collection. Citizen Collection Stations take appliances free with your water bill.
Where can I donate a refrigerator in El Paso?
Salvation Army Family Store, free pickup for furniture and large donations. They also accept gently used mattresses for free pickup. For clothing and household items, 5+ boxes or bags are required for a pickup dispatch. Drop-off at 3920 Morehead or 4300 E. Paisano. Schedule by calling the store.
How much does paid refrigerator removal cost in El Paso?
Through the LoadUp marketplace, a single refrigerator pickup in El Paso starts around $80 to $100 with upfront pricing, and full-truck loads run $300 to $600 depending on volume. For El Paso households who need same-day or in-home pickup, can’t self-haul to a CCS, have more than 5 cubic yards to dispose of, or want full-service crew-based hauling, LoadUp connects you with independent loaders in the El Paso area for upfront-priced pickup.
Can I just put a refrigerator at the curb?
In most cities, no. Refrigerators contain refrigerant that must be drained by a certified technician before disposal under federal Clean Air Act regulations. Most cities require either: (1) Pre-pickup drainage with a tag certifying it, OR (2) self-haul to a city Solid Waste Facility where staff handle drainage. Some cities exclude refrigerators from regular bulk entirely. Check your city’s rules in the section above.
What’s the cheapest way to get rid of a refrigerator?
In order from cheapest: (1) FREE if you’re replacing, retailer haul-away with new appliance delivery. (2) FREE PLUS REBATE if your unit is energy-inefficient and working, utility company appliance recycling rebate ($30 to $75 paid TO YOU). (3) FREE if you can self-haul, some cities (Knoxville, Albuquerque, Tucson) operate Solid Waste Facilities with on-site certified drainage. (4) ~$25 to $75 if you can’t self-haul, certified technician drainage + free city pickup. (5) $80+ for full-service paid hauling like LoadUp. Most households end up using option 1 (retailer haul-away) because they’re replacing the appliance anyway.
Why does federal law require certified refrigerant drainage?
Refrigerants are extraordinarily potent greenhouse gases. HCFC-22 (older Freon) has roughly 1,810 times the global warming potential of CO2 over 100 years. R-134a (modern automotive AC refrigerant) has 1,430. R-410A (modern home AC refrigerant) has 2,088. A typical home refrigerator contains about 4 to 8 ounces of refrigerant; releasing it during disposal is the equivalent of driving a car several thousand miles. The Clean Air Act Section 608 requires EPA-certified technicians for recovery to ensure the refrigerant is captured and reused or properly destroyed rather than vented to atmosphere.
Are washing machines and dryers handled the same way?
No, washers, dryers, dishwashers, and water heaters do NOT contain refrigerants and don’t require certified drainage. They’re typically eligible for regular city bulk pickup without special handling. The exception: gas dryers, which need their gas line professionally disconnected first (typically a plumber or appliance installer, often part of new appliance delivery).
Is this El Paso page maintained?
Yes. Freemoval maintains this page as a public resource alongside the full El Paso guide. We update it when programs change rules, fees, or contact methods. Last updated October 2026. If you find outdated information, let us know.