We need to get rid of the refrigerator that's been sitting in our garage. What's the best way to do that? I'm assuming we'll have to call to have it picked up since they won't take it with the normal trash pick up (somehow I don't think just putting on the pink sticker will do the trick).
It still works...if someone wants it for free.

If it still works, ComEd might be able to pick it up and pay you $25 for it. I saw their appliance recycling trucks around last month.

Actually a pink sticker will work! When we were rehabbing our current house there was an ancient refrigerator in the basement. We put it on the curb on Sunday evening with a sticker. However, when my husband went to let the construction crew in the next morning, it was gone!

quote:

the next morning, it was gone!

Refrigerator Fairies! They are quite real. Don't expect them to look like the cute green ones in your garden. They look more like a Union Plumber.

Generally, if something has metal on it, it will disappear overnight.

Salvation Army...they'll take older (more than 10 years) working fridges, while Amvets, St. Vincent DePaul etc. won't.

Thanks all. I called Com Ed but they require that someone be there to sign for the pick up-which makes it difficult for us working folk. I'll try Salvation Army, then will try the pink sticker.

Middlein87 has it right. There are always roving "freelancers" out and about on garbage days looking for ANYTHING being tossed that is primarily made of metal.

When I got a new dishwasher installed, I made sure that the installation took place on the day before garbage day. Wheeled the old clunky dishwasher [a 1986-vintage Kenmore, by the way] to the curb and it was gone in less than an hour.

Heck, this past fall I put up a new fence and had to dispose of about 20-feet of chain-link fencing and poles. Again, it didn't last at the curb for more than 30-45 minutes.....

Metal. That's the ticket!

Straight from the village website:

"Large Items, White Goods
Large items, such as furniture and appliances may be included in your regular gargage pickup with one refuse sticker attached."

. . . although I'd wait until Monday morning to put the sticker on.

If you put it out by the curb, make sure you remove the door(s).

I've gotten rid of so much metal junk through my local trash metal picker that we wave to each other on his Sunday afternoon rounds. Fridge, central air unit, old furnace, fence poles. I help him put the big stuff on the truck (which is a credit to Ford as old F-150's are clearly the vehicle of choice as they apparently outlast the competitors), and away it goes

I bet he has a bunch of "slats" jammed vertically in the bed to increase payload, no?

Hey, when your raw material is free and gas/diesel fuel to make the rounds is your only serious overhead, I bet you could actually do quite well for yourself.

quote:

Originally posted by GEM:
If you put it out by the curb, make sure you remove the door(s).

Years back the Illinois EPA rules said the freon had to be professionally evacuated before it was dumped or salvaged. Don't know if that rule applies anymore. I just cut off the tubing.

I cut off the tubing My son and I replaced the units (furnace and AC). And found a great licensed GE guy (one man shop) to do the charge and tubing.

Darn right they have slats on those F150's. Scrap metal piled 13' high lol. Those guys were making big $ back when metal prices where high. I figure giving my metal to them rather than BFI is a good thing to do.