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A public resource guide
Every free and paid way to get rid of a refrigerator in Virginia Beach, verified October 2026.
Checked against Virginia Beach Public Works
3 days
minimum notice before your trash day; request through VB311 or 757-385-4650
5 p.m. to 7 a.m.
set-out window the evening before your confirmed date
Free
Landfill and Resource Recovery Center drop-off for residents, Tuesday to Saturday 7 a.m. to 4:30 p.m.
Every route for a refrigerator in Virginia Beach, checked in October 2026 against the city’s current rules and the drop-off sites named. The full Virginia Beach guide covers every other item.
Here is how each route works in Virginia Beach, starting with the city program and ending with paid pickup.
Virginia Beach scheduled bulky item pickup: refrigerators
Free, with a step firstRefrigerators are collected, but the city requires you to mention Freon appliances when you request so they get special handling. Empty it and secure the door. The landfill also takes appliances from residents free.
Who qualifies: Households with City of Virginia Beach curbside collection. Apartments with dumpsters use private service.
How to schedule: Request a pickup through VB311 online (preferred), by calling 757-385-4650, or by email at wastemgt@vbgov.com, at least 3 days before your regular trash day (the city asks for two weeks when possible). Wait for the confirmation with a collection date before setting anything out. Free; the city asks you to batch items rather than request single items.
Limits: No published item cap for an ordinary household request. Freon appliances must be mentioned when you request so they get special handling.
Set-out: Just behind the curb line in front of your home, no earlier than 5 p.m. the day before your confirmed date and by 7 a.m. that morning, not in the street or on the sidewalk.
Virginia Beach Landfill and Resource Recovery Center: refrigerators
Free for residentsAppliances accepted.
Where: 1989 Jake Sears Rd, Virginia Beach, VA 23464, 757-385-1980
How it works: Tuesday to Saturday 7 a.m. to 4:30 p.m., free for Virginia Beach residents. Bulky items, appliances, electronics, metals, household hazardous waste, tires (4 per visit), clean concrete, brush, and porcelain.
Donation pickup in Virginia Beach (usable refrigerators)
FreeVirginia Beach’s donation programs accept items in good usable condition: clean upholstered furniture without significant tears or stains, working appliances less than 10 years old, mattresses in good condition (subject to program-specific rules), kitchenware, lamps, and most household goods.
Items typically not accepted: damaged or stained furniture, mattresses with bedbug history or significant wear, appliances that don’t work, particle-board furniture in poor condition, cribs (federal safety regulations have changed), and exercise equipment that requires reassembly. Always call before scheduling if you’re unsure, pickups that find unacceptable items will leave them behind.
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 Virginia Beach: 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 Virginia Beach: you can start the conversation now through the For partners page.
Virginia Beach runs an unusually structured residential system: FREE Bulky/Large Item Pickup by appointment via VB311 with a 2-WEEK ADVANCE REQUEST (longer notice than most cities). Trash is collected weekly, recycling is collected biweekly, and yard debris is collected weekly on the same day as trash, without any special request needed. The City uses 95-gallon containers that residents must purchase for $75 each from Public Works Waste Management. Yard debris has a unique limit: one 4x4x4-foot pile of limbs per service week, limbs at least 4 feet long but no larger than 6 inches in diameter. Limbs UNDER 3 feet long can go inside the trash cart. Two free year-round drop-off centers: the Landfill & Resource Recovery Center on Jake Sears Road (Tue-Sat 7 AM-4:30 PM) and West Neck Recycling Center (Mon-Sat 7 AM-4:30 PM). This page walks through every legitimate option in order from free to paid.
The Virginia Beach rule for refrigerators: Refrigerators are collected, but the city requires you to mention Freon appliances when you request so they get special handling. Empty it and secure the door. The landfill also takes appliances from residents free.
Program basics: No published item cap for an ordinary household request. Freon appliances must be mentioned when you request so they get special handling. Just behind the curb line in front of your home, no earlier than 5 p.m. the day before your confirmed date and by 7 a.m. that morning, not in the street or on the sidewalk.
What the city will not take: Remodeling and building materials (including sinks, toilets, carpet, and cabinets), hazardous waste, tires, propane tanks, cardboard, computers, vehicle parts, and boats. The city landfill takes most of those from residents.
How we checked this. The rules on this page were verified in October 2026 against: Virginia Beach Public Works: Bulky/Large Item Pickup, City of Virginia Beach: Bulky Item and Yard Waste Collection rules. Programs change; confirm fees and limits before you go.
Hazardous and regulated components in Virginia Beach. Virginia Beach residents have free Household Hazardous Waste disposal through the City’s Public Works Waste Management Group. Accepts paint, cleaners, pesticides, automotive fluids, batteries, and fluorescent bulbs. Call (757) 385-4650 for current locations and event dates. Several retailers also offer ongoing free recycling: Home Depot for batteries and CFL bulbs, AutoZone for motor oil and car batteries, Best Buy for electronics, most pharmacies for unused medications.
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 households who need same-day or in-home pickup, can’t wait 2 weeks for the City’s bulky appointment, have items the City won’t accept (private contractor work, large construction debris), or want full-service hauling, LoadUp offers professional removal in Virginia Beach with upfront pricing. Independent loaders in the marketplace handle pickup, loading, and licensed disposal.
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 Virginia Beach with LoadUp → Round-up option appears at checkout. Optional, opt-in only.
Rules change at city limits. If you are outside Virginia Beach proper, start with the guide for your own city:
Related guides: the complete Virginia Beach 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 Virginia Beach: mattress, couch, washer and dryer, furniture, tv and electronics, dresser, bed frame and box spring, dishwasher.
Does Virginia Beach pick up refrigerators for free?
Yes, free, on a confirmed bulky pickup; say it contains Freon when you request.
Where can I donate a refrigerator in Virginia Beach?
Virginia Beach’s donation programs accept items in good usable condition: clean upholstered furniture without significant tears or stains, working appliances less than 10 years old, mattresses in good condition (subject to program-specific rules), kitchenware, lamps, and most household goods.
How much does paid refrigerator removal cost in Virginia Beach?
Through the LoadUp marketplace, a single refrigerator pickup in Virginia Beach starts around $80 to $100 with upfront pricing, and full-truck loads run $300 to $600 depending on volume. For households who need same-day or in-home pickup, can’t wait 2 weeks for the City’s bulky appointment, have items the City won’t accept (private contractor work, large construction debris), or want full-service hauling, LoadUp offers professional removal in Virginia Beach with upfront pricing. Independent loaders in the marketplace handle pickup, loading, and licensed disposal.
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 Virginia Beach page maintained?
Yes. Freemoval maintains this page as a public resource alongside the full Virginia Beach guide. We update it when programs change rules, fees, or contact methods. Last updated October 2026. If you find outdated information, let us know.