How to get rid of an old fridge freezer in Essex
An old fridge freezer can't go in your wheelie bin or in a skip, and this year the council route has got harder. Here's every option in Essex and East London, and what each one costs.
By LM Waste Management Ltd · Updated October 2026
Fridges and freezers have gases in their cooling pipes and insulation, and those have to be taken out at a specialist treatment plant before the metal and plastic can be recycled. Every proper route ends at one of those plants, which is why a fridge costs more to get rid of than most bulky items.
Why it's harder to get rid of a fridge in 2026
In summer 2026 the UK ran short of specialist fridge treatment plants after fires and closures at some sites, and councils across England stopped or limited fridge collections, from homes and at the tip.
Closer to home, Southend-on-Sea City Council suspended bulky waste bookings for fridges and freezers in August 2026, and its Leigh Marshes recycling centre can't take them for now. The council has asked residents to keep appliances that are safe to keep until things improve. If your fridge still works, that's good advice. If it's broken or you're moving, read on.
Option 1: it still works? Pass it on
If it's clean and working, sell it or give it away locally. Some Essex County Council recycling centres have donation points for large electricals, where appliances are tested and refurbished before anyone else uses them. Ask at your site.
Option 2: buying a new one? Ask the shop about the old one
Shops that sell electricals either take your old appliance back free when you buy a new one of the same type, or pay into a scheme that funds council recycling instead. Many will take the old one away when they deliver the new one, but they're allowed to charge for collecting it from your home. Ask when you order, not on delivery day, so the crew knows to take it.
Option 3: your council's bulky waste collection
Most councils collect fridges as a bulky item, from outside your property, on the next date they have.
| Council | Price, and what's worth knowing |
|---|---|
| Southend-on-Sea | 1 individual bulky item £15; up to 3 bulky items £40; up to 5 bulky items £60; combined items (3 piece suite/corner sofa, or dining table and 6 chairs) £35. Each household can also book one free collection per service year (up to 5 individual items or 1 combination item), subject to availability.Fridge and freezer bookings are suspended for now. No American-style fridge freezers. |
| Castle Point | Minimum charge of £49.18 for up to 3 items; additional items £7.60 each; maximum of 10 items. Upholstered items need a separate booking at the same rates. |
| Rochford | £23.22 for the first item, additional items are charged £11.09 each |
| Basildon | We couldn't confirm this year's price. See the council's page. |
| Chelmsford | £31 for the first item, £13.60 for each additional item (a corner sofa counts as two items); prices valid until 31 December 2026 |
| Brentwood | £25 for the first item, additional items are £15 (the same rates apply to upholstered POPs items, which are booked separately)Doesn't collect electrical appliances. |
| Thurrock | £44.00 for either 1 item, 2 items or 3 items; a further £12.00 for each item in addition to the first 3; up to 8 items per bookingNo business fridges or freezers. |
| Havering | For 1 to 3 items the cost is £71.50; for every additional item the cost is £18.50 |
| Colchester | Electrical and white goods: £19 per item (£39 for fridges and freezers). Other large household items such as beds, sofas and wardrobes: £77 for up to six items, £100 for six to twelve items. |
| Epping Forest | 1 to 3 items £34.80; 4 to 7 items £52.80; 8 to 10 items £69.60 (totals including VAT)No large American-style fridge freezers. |
| Redbridge | One free collection every 12 months (rolling) of up to three items; extra items cost £15.20 each, paid in advanceSingle-style fridge freezers only. |
From each council's website, checked October 2026. Prices change, usually every April, so check the council's own page before you book.
The catch: items usually have to be outside by 7am on the day, the crew won't come inside, and you take whatever date is free. Our council bulky waste guide has every council we cover.
Option 4: take it to the tip yourself
Essex County Council recycling centres need a booked slot for every visit, cars included, and staff can ask for proof of address. In a van, pick-up or large trailer you need a van slot at one of the van-friendly sites. Check your centre is taking fridges before you go, especially this year. A full-size fridge freezer won't fit in most cars.
Option 5: book a collection with us
We collect fridges and freezers across Essex and East London at fixed prices you see before you pay. Each one goes to a licensed facility to be degassed and recycled under the WEEE rules.
| Item | On its own | With other items |
|---|---|---|
| Fridge-freezer, standardUp to about 190cm tall, 60cm wide. Degassed and recycled under WEEE rules. | £105 | £65 |
| Under-counter fridge or freezerSmall kitchen or garage unit, up to about 90cm tall. | £105 | £65 |
| Tall larder fridge or freezerSingle-door tall unit, up to 2m. | £105 | £65 |
| Chest freezerAny size. Emptied and defrosted, please. | £105 | £65 |
| American-style fridge-freezerDouble-door unit, 90cm wide or more. Needs a straight route out. | £135 | £95 |
| Commercial fridge or freezer, any sizeSet price for shop, pub and catering units, including display chillers and upright bottle fridges. | £165 | £125 |
All prices include VAT. "On its own" includes our £40 base fee, which you pay once per collection, so everything else you add costs the lower price.
How it works
- Leave it at the front of the house, on the drive, in a side passage or in a garage. That's what the prices cover, and you don't need to be in.
- Inside the house or flat? Say so when you book and we carry it out: £72 an hour (at least one hour), plus £18 a floor above the first floor if there's no lift. An adult needs to be there for inside collections.
- Choose from the available collection days when you book. Book by 4pm the working day before your collection day.
- Pay by card online, and your confirmation comes by email with a waste transfer note to follow.
Fridges from shops, pubs and cafés come with a hazardous waste consignment note, as the law requires for business fridges.
Book a fridge freezer collection or see all fridge and freezer prices.
Getting it ready
- Empty it and switch it off the day before, so the freezer defrosts and stops dripping. Chest freezers must be emptied and defrosted.
- Tape the doors shut so they don't swing open when it's moved.
- Don't cut or bend the pipes at the back, and don't take the compressor off. That lets out the gases the treatment plant is there to capture.
- American-style fridge freezers need a straight route out. If it's coming out of the house, measure the doorways first.
Washing machine or cooker going too?
Washing machines, tumble dryers, cookers and dishwashers are £55 on their own, or £15 each added to a collection. Put them in the same booking as the fridge and you pay the base fee once: a fridge freezer and a washing machine together come to £120. See appliance collection prices.
Questions people ask
Can I put a fridge in a skip?
No. Fridges and freezers have to be degassed at a licensed site, so they can't go in a skip. Book them as a separate collection. See what can go in a skip.
Can I get a fridge freezer collected for free?
Sometimes. If you're buying a new one, ask the shop whether it will take the old one back free. Southend gives each household one free bulky collection a year, but its fridge bookings are suspended for now.
Do I need to be home?
Not if it's outside, in a side passage or in a garage. If we're carrying it out of the house or flat, an adult needs to be there.
How do I know it's disposed of properly?
Use a registered waste carrier and keep the paperwork. Our Environment Agency registration is CB/DU308513, which you can check on the public register, and every collection comes with a waste transfer note.