Can I Take My Old Fridge to the Tip? A London Guide
One of our recent fridge jobs started on a pavement in Fitzrovia. An office had a big American-style fridge freezer to get rid of. They wrapped it, wheeled it out and left it by the door for us.
The tip was never an option for them. It wouldn’t fit in a car, council tips only take household rubbish (not office waste), and many London tips won’t let you turn up in a hired van anyway. We collected it that morning for £145.
That’s the real question with an old fridge. The tip will almost always take it. Getting it there is the hard part.
What London tips actually ask for
Every borough runs its tips differently. Here’s what a few of them say right now:
| Tip (Reuse & Recycling Centre) | What to know before you go |
|---|---|
| Ealing – Greenford Road | Book first. Photo ID plus proof of address. One fridge per household, free for residents. |
| Wandsworth – Smugglers Way | Cars must book a slot. No vans, no trailers, nothing over 2 m high. Fridges that still work go to the reuse bay. |
| Croydon – all sites | No trailers at any site. Vans only at Factory Lane, Tuesday and Wednesday, 11am–1pm. |
| Royal Greenwich | No hired vans. Bring a physical driving licence and proof of address less than 3 months old. |
| Barking & Dagenham – Frizlands Lane | Vans and trailers must book. No Luton vans. |
| North London – Camden, Hackney, Islington and others | Vans must book at least 24 hours ahead, and you only get a few van bookings a year. |
Taken from each council’s own website. Rules change, so always check before you set off.
The pattern is clear. If you have a big enough car and live in the borough, the tip is the cheapest way. If you need a van, it gets complicated fast.
Getting it there in one piece
- Switch it off the day before. Empty it, take the shelves out and let it defrost. Put a towel underneath for the water.
- Tape the doors shut. Doors swinging open on the stairs is how walls get damaged.
- Keep it upright. Fridge maker Liebherr says that if a fridge travels on its side, you should stand it upright for at least 12 hours (24 for older models) before switching it on. That only matters if someone will use it again.
- Get a second pair of hands. A full-size fridge freezer is a two-person lift, and stairs make it harder.
If you can’t get it to the tip
1. Ask your council to collect it
Most London councils will collect a fridge as a bulky item. Prices vary a lot from one borough to the next:
| Council | Fridge collection | Watch out for |
|---|---|---|
| Richmond | £74.90 per fridge | No American or side-by-side fridges. Cheaper for over-60s. |
| Hammersmith & Fulham | £49 for up to 3 items | Must be empty of food or it won’t be taken. |
| Lambeth | £36 for up to 3 items | The price covers up to 3 items, so add other bulky bits. |
| Islington | £32.46 minimum (up to 3 items) | Half price on Housing Benefit or Council Tax Support. |
| Camden | £25 + £10 for large electricals | Also a free large-electricals collection on set days. |
| Tower Hamlets | Free, 2 collections a year | American-style fridges not accepted. |
Prices from each council’s website. None of them publish waiting times, so ask when you book.
Councils usually collect from outside your home, not from inside. So if you’re on the third floor, you still have to get it down yourself.
2. Let the shop take it when your new one arrives
Most big shops will take your old fridge away when they deliver a new one. They’re allowed to charge for collecting it from your home. According to Which?, Currys charges from £20, AO from £30 and John Lewis from £25.
The catches: it has to happen on delivery day, the old fridge must already be unplugged, empty and defrosted, and not every shop takes American models.
3. Give it away if it still works
A working fridge is worth offering on Freegle, Facebook Marketplace or a local reuse group before anything else. Some tips, like Wandsworth’s Smugglers Way, also have a reuse bay for fridges in good condition.
4. Book a licensed waste carrier
This is where we come in. It makes the most sense when:
- you live in a flat with stairs, or the fridge is stuck in a tight kitchen,
- it’s an American fridge freezer or a commercial fridge,
- other things are going too (a sofa, a mattress, bags from a clear-out),
- you want it gone this week, at a time that suits you.
What fridge collections cost with us: real jobs
These are real fridge collections from our booking diary.
The office wrapped it and left it outside for an early-morning pickup.
One of two fridges on the same visit, both waiting by the back door. £75 each, recycling charge included.
The second fridge from the same house. Two fridges, one trip.
If the fridge is part of a bigger collection, we add a recycling charge on top of the load price:
Every price includes loading and the recycling charge, and we confirm it before we come. The full list is on our rubbish removal prices page, and you can read more about appliance collection too.
Please don’t leave it on the pavement
A fridge left on the street without a booked collection counts as fly-tipping. In England, councils can give an on-the-spot fine of up to £1,000 for it. If you pay someone to take it away and they dump it, you can also be fined up to £600 for not checking who you gave it to.
The check takes a minute. Ask for their waste carrier number and look it up on the Environment Agency public register. Ours is CBDU553904.
Why fridges can’t just go in a skip
The gas in the cooling pipes and the foam inside the walls need careful handling. Older fridges contain ozone-damaging gases (CFCs and HCFCs), and the rules say these must be recovered by trained people at a licensed site. Newer fridges use HFCs or isobutane, which still need proper treatment.
That’s why fridges cost a little more to get rid of than a wardrobe, and why a skip company won’t take one. Every fridge we collect goes to a licensed site where the gases are removed and the metal and plastic are recycled.
Common questions
Is it free to take a fridge to the tip in London?
Usually, yes, if you live in that borough and bring ID and proof of address. The catch is the vehicle: many sites ban hired vans and trailers, and some send vans to a paid transfer station instead.
Can I leave my fridge outside to be collected?
Only when a collection is booked and you’ve agreed where it will be. Council collections are normally from just outside your property. Our Fitzrovia customer left theirs wrapped on the pavement because we’d agreed a time window. A fridge left out without a booking can count as fly-tipping.
Can I lay a fridge on its side to move it?
Try not to. Keep it upright, or only slightly tilted. If it has to lie down and you plan to use it again, Liebherr’s advice is to stand it upright for at least 12 hours (24 for older models) before switching it on. If it’s going for recycling, it doesn’t matter.
Will the council take an American fridge freezer?
Not always. Richmond and Tower Hamlets say no to American-style fridges, and some shops won’t take them away either. We collect them every week. Most cost us one extra person and a bit more time, which is why they cost more.
Can you take a fridge from an upstairs flat?
Yes. We carry it down from any floor, lift or no lift. Stairs are £10 per floor, and we tell you the full price before we come.
Do I need to defrost the fridge before you collect it?
It helps. Switch it off the day before, empty it, and put a towel underneath for the water. We’ll still take it if it’s not fully defrosted, but it saves a wet trail through your hallway.
Got a fridge to get rid of?
Send us a photo on WhatsApp and we’ll tell you the price before we come. London and surrounding areas, same and next day.