· by Michael Blair, Nashville's Junk Removal
Most household waste is straightforward. A mattress, a refrigerator and a television are not, and each is restricted for its own reason. Knowing which reason applies changes what your options are, whether you haul the thing yourself or book our furniture and appliance removal.
Refrigerators and anything with a compressor
Refrigerators, freezers, window air conditioners and dehumidifiers all hold refrigerant, and each is named in the federal definition of a small appliance at 40 CFR 82.152. Under 40 CFR 82.154, nobody disposing of an appliance may knowingly vent that refrigerant, and 40 CFR 82.155 makes the final processor, a scrap recycler or a landfill operator for instance, either recover what is left or verify with a signed statement that it was recovered earlier. So a fridge cannot simply be landfilled with the refrigerant still in it.
For a household fridge or window unit, the person who takes the refrigerant out does not have to be a certified technician, according to EPA’s safe disposal requirements for refrigerant appliances, but the recovery equipment has to meet the same standards as servicing equipment, and EPA does not accept a sticker as proof that the job was done. A legitimate removal company either recovers the refrigerant or delivers the unit to a facility that does, and the signed statement names who recovered it and on what date. EPA’s appliance disposal page adds that older appliances may contain mercury in switches and relays, contaminated oils and PCBs, all of which must be removed before disposal. That handling, along with the weight, is part of what separates an appliance from general junk on our quotes. A dead hot tub is a different problem again, wired into the house and heavy until it is drained, and our post on getting rid of a hot tub that no longer runs walks through the electrician, the draining and the route out to the truck.
Why are mattresses harder to get rid of?
Mattresses are awkward, bulky and a bed bug risk. EPA’s guide to protecting your home from bed bugs says the insects reach a new home on furniture, bedding, luggage, boxes and clothing, and it tells people to check secondhand beds and couches before bringing them in. In Davidson County, Metro’s bulky item collection page says anything too big for the curbside cart should go to a convenience center, where residents can drop off up to four mattresses and box springs a month for recycling, and it points to the convenience center page for the fees.
If you suspect bed bugs, seal the mattress in plastic before it leaves the bedroom. EPA’s do-it-yourself bed bug control page says to put infested items in a sealed plastic bag and to have them picked up as soon as possible, though it also says not to throw out furniture you can safely clear of the bugs. Tell us when you book, because it changes how our crew handles the mattress.
- Seal a mattress in plastic in the room if you suspect bed bugs
- Never vent refrigerant or cut lines on an appliance yourself
- Take the doors off a refrigerator nobody is using
- In Nashville, televisions and monitors go to electronics recycling
- Ask a removal company where items actually go
Televisions and electronics
Older cathode ray tube televisions and monitors carry lead in the funnel glass, and EPA’s page on CRTs says CRTs marked for disposal are considered hazardous waste. A household’s own waste is excluded from the federal definition of hazardous waste and is regulated at the state and local level, as EPA’s household hazardous waste page explains, so for a house the local rule is the one that counts. Metro’s trash guidelines send electronic waste to its drop-off recycling program, and its electronic waste recycling page says electronics are not allowed in waste containers under Metro Code 10.20.095. A flat panel falls under that as much as an old tube set does.
For a Davidson County resident with one or two items, the drop-off is hard to beat on price. Metro charges no fee at its East, Ezell Pike and Omohundro convenience centers, takes up to 100 pounds of household electronics a day, including one TV no wider than 80 inches, and asks for Davidson County identification. When we take a TV, the charge is for the collection and the handling, and the set goes to electronics recycling along with everything else we sort out of a load.
What brings the removal price down?
Sort before you book. We quote a mixed load by everything in it, and a fridge or a mattress takes more handling than a bag of clutter, so carrying the electronics to a drop-off yourself and leaving us the bulk can bring the price down. Metro’s bulky item page also lists refrigerators among the scrap metal it takes from residents, one bulk item at no charge, which is worth knowing if you have a truck. EPA notes that some municipalities want the refrigerant recovered before they will accept an appliance, so ask before you load it. Our post on how junk removal is priced goes through the rest of what moves a quote.
Retailer takeback is the other one people forget. EPA’s appliance disposal page says some retailers pick up and dispose of the old appliance when they deliver a new one, and others let you drop it off at the store at no charge, and it suggests checking first with your electric utility for a rebate or bounty program. Ask about it when you buy, before the delivery is booked. If the fridge, the mattress and the TV are all leaving at once, ask us for a free estimate and list them by name.
Sources
- eCFR, 40 CFR 82.152, Definitions (small appliance) — Refrigerators, freezers, window air conditioners and dehumidifiers are named as small appliances charged with refrigerant
- eCFR, 40 CFR 82.154, Prohibitions — No person disposing of an appliance may knowingly vent or release its refrigerant
- eCFR, 40 CFR 82.155, Safe disposal of appliances (last amended 2016) — The final processor, such as a scrap recycler or landfill operator, recovers the refrigerant or verifies recovery with a signed statement naming who recovered it and when
- US EPA, Safe Disposal Requirements for Refrigerant-Containing Appliances — Individuals recovering refrigerant from small appliances need not be certified technicians; equipment standards; a sticker is not accepted as proof
- US EPA, Appliance Disposal — Mercury switches and relays, contaminated oils and PCBs in older appliances; retailer pickup and drop-off; check with your electric utility first; some municipalities require refrigerant recovered before they accept an appliance
- US EPA, Protecting Your Home from Bed Bugs — Bed bugs travel to a new home on furniture, bedding, luggage, boxes and clothing; check secondhand beds and couches
- US EPA, Do-It-Yourself Bed Bug Control — Seal infested items in plastic; have them picked up as soon as possible; do not discard furniture that can safely be cleared
- Metro Nashville Waste Services, Bulky Item Collection — Items too big for the cart go to a convenience center; up to 4 mattresses and box springs a month; one bulk scrap metal item, refrigerators included, at no charge
- US EPA, Cathode Ray Tubes (CRTs) — Lead in the funnel glass; CRTs marked for disposal are considered hazardous waste
- US EPA, Household Hazardous Waste (HHW) — Household waste is excluded from the federal definition of hazardous waste and regulated at the state and local level
- Metro Nashville Waste Services, Trash Guidelines — Electronic waste goes to the electronics drop-off recycling program
- Metro Nashville Waste Services, Electronic Waste Recycling — Electronics not allowed in waste containers (Metro Code 10.20.095); no fee at East, Ezell Pike and Omohundro; 100 pounds a day, 1 TV up to 80 inches wide; Davidson County ID
FAQ
Getting Rid of a Mattress, Fridge or TV — questions
Can I put a mattress out with the trash in Nashville?
Metro’s route for a mattress is a convenience center, not the curbside cart. Its bulky item page says items too big for the cart should be taken to a convenience center, where residents can drop off up to four mattresses and box springs a month, with fees set by Metro. Outside Davidson County, or with a private hauler, check what applies at your address before setting one at the curb.
Why do junk removal companies charge more for appliances?
Because the refrigerant in a fridge, freezer, window unit or dehumidifier cannot be vented, and the scrap yard or landfill that takes the appliance last has to recover it or hold a signed statement that someone already did. Appliances are also heavy and go to a different facility than general waste. A price that does not distinguish them is worth a question about where the unit is actually going.
What should I do with an old fridge sitting in the garage?
If nobody is using it, take the doors off so a child cannot climb inside and get shut in. Then arrange disposal through a removal service, a scrap facility that recovers refrigerant, or an appliance turn-in program; EPA suggests checking with your electric utility first to see whether one is offered in your area. Davidson County residents can also take one bulk scrap metal item, refrigerators included, to a Metro convenience center at no charge.
How do I recycle a TV for free?
In Davidson County, take it to Metro’s East, Ezell Pike or Omohundro convenience center, where electronics recycling has no fee. Metro takes up to 100 pounds of household electronics a day, including one TV no wider than 80 inches, and asks for Davidson County identification. Electronics are not allowed in Metro waste containers.