This guide is written for homeowners, renters and property managers in London, St. Thomas and Elgin County who have an old fridge, freezer, stove, washer, dryer, dishwasher, air conditioner or dehumidifier that needs to go. Everything below reflects the current City of London and City of St. Thomas rules and fees, plus the Ontario refrigerant law that makes fridges and air conditioners different from every other appliance in your home.
Key takeaways
- Appliances and electronics are not accepted in London’s curbside garbage or bulky item collection.
- City EnviroDepots and the W12A Landfill accept appliances. Scrap metal and electronics are free.
- Refrigerant appliances such as fridges, freezers, air conditioners, dehumidifiers and water coolers are handled separately, and the City has posted a $20 per unit fee for them.
- In St. Thomas, untagged refrigerant-bearing appliances are $55 per unit at the Community Recycling Centre, with a $30 minimum charge on any load with chargeable material.
- Working appliances should be offered for reuse or donation before anything else.
On this page
- Why London will not take appliances at the curb
- Where to drop off appliances in London, Ontario
- Fridges, freezers and AC units: the refrigerant rule
- Appliance disposal in St. Thomas and Elgin County
- Free appliance pickup options
- What if the appliance still works?
- When it makes more sense to book a pickup
- Pre-pickup checklist
- Frequently asked questions
Why London Will Not Take Appliances at the Curb
This is the single biggest source of confusion, and it costs people a wasted Monday morning. London does run a residential bulky item booking service for large items such as couches, mattresses and large wooden bookshelves. Appliances are specifically excluded from it.
According to the City of London curbside garbage collection rules, the items that will not be picked up at the curb include appliances and electronics, renovation materials, vehicle parts, batteries, tires, and “mostly metal” items such as bikes, metal furniture and scrap. In other words, your old dryer is not a bulky item in the City’s eyes. It is scrap metal, and scrap metal has its own drop-off stream.
Leaving an appliance at the curb anyway usually ends one of two ways. Either it sits there for a week and becomes a neighbourhood eyesore, or it becomes a safety issue. Old chest freezers and fridges with latching doors are a genuine hazard for children when they are left unattended and unsecured.
Where to Drop Off Appliances in London, Ontario
If you have a truck, a helper and a free afternoon, the City-run sites are the cheapest path. London operates four public drop-off locations that accept appliances:
- Clarke Road North EnviroDepot – 21463 Clarke Road
- Clarke Road South EnviroDepot – 28 Clarke Road
- Oxford Street EnviroDepot – 1450 Oxford Street West
- W12A Landfill and EnviroDepot – 3502 Manning Drive
At the City of London EnviroDepots, scrap metal, electronics, TVs and monitors, batteries and fluorescent tubes are all accepted at no charge. That covers most of a typical laundry room or kitchen: stoves, washers, dryers, dishwashers, microwaves and small metal appliances are scrap metal, and scrap metal is free.
Two important limitations to plan around. First, EnviroDepots do not accept furniture or mattresses, so you cannot combine an appliance run with a couch. Those go to the W12A Landfill, where weight-based fees apply. Second, the depots and landfill are credit and debit only. No cash is accepted.
The W12A Landfill on Manning Drive is the most flexible site because it takes appliances, furniture, mattresses, brush, wood, cardboard and household garbage in one visit. Residential mixed waste there is charged by weight, starting at $8.00 for loads up to 100 kg and rising to $75.00 for loads between 801 and 1,000 kg.
Fridges, Freezers and AC Units: The Refrigerant Rule
A fridge is not just a big metal box. It contains refrigerant, and in Ontario that changes the legal picture entirely.
Under Ontario Regulation 463/10, Ozone Depleting Substances and Other Halocarbons, no one may dismantle, destroy, recycle, incinerate or landfill refrigeration equipment unless the refrigerant has first been properly recovered by a qualified person. That is why refrigerant appliances are metered and priced separately at every facility in the region, and why “just take the doors off and put it out” is bad advice.
The City groups the following as appliances containing refrigerant: fridges, freezers, air conditioners, dehumidifiers and water coolers. The City of London waste disposal fees page lists a $20 per unit fee for these appliances at both EnviroDepots and the landfill, noted as coming into effect. Everything without refrigerant stays in the free scrap metal stream.
Practical takeaway: if you are clearing out a basement with a beer fridge, a chest freezer, a window air conditioner and a dehumidifier, that is four separate refrigerant units, not one load of scrap. Budget accordingly, or have them removed together in a single pickup.
Appliance Disposal in St. Thomas and Elgin County
St. Thomas residents have their own facility, and the pricing structure is quite different from London’s.
The St. Thomas Community Recycling Centre is located at 330 South Edgeware Road and also serves residents of Southwold, Central Elgin, Aylmer and Malahide. As of March 2026 the posted hours are Tuesday to Friday from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m., Saturday from 8 a.m. to 3 p.m., and Sunday from 10 a.m. to 3 p.m.
Key figures for appliance disposal there:
- Scrap metal, including non-refrigerant-bearing appliances: free of charge
- Untagged refrigerant-bearing appliances: $55 per unit
- Waste electronics: free of charge
- Mixed solid waste, including mattresses, furniture and carpeting: $140 per tonne
- Minimum charge on any load with chargeable material: $30
Proof of residency is required, either a driver’s licence or a work order for the property where the waste was generated. Like London, the site takes Visa, Mastercard and debit only, with no cash accepted.
That $55 per unit figure is worth pausing on. Two old fridges plus the drive, the loading and the lifting starts to look a lot like the cost of having a two-person crew do the entire job while you stay inside.
Free Appliance Pickup Options
Because scrap metal has resale value, several local operators will collect metal appliances at no cost. Long-standing London scrap yards such as John Zubick Limited on Clarke Road handle scrap metal, and some scrap collectors advertise free residential pickup for metal items left in an accessible spot.
These programs work well when three things are true:
- The appliance is mostly metal and contains no refrigerant.
- You can move it yourself to the driveway, garage or side of the house.
- You are flexible on timing and do not need a confirmed appointment window.
They tend to break down when the appliance is in a finished basement behind a tight turn, when the unit is a fridge or freezer, when the item is plastic-heavy, or when you need the space cleared by a specific date for a move, closing or tenant turnover.
It is also worth asking your retailer. Some appliance stores will haul away the old unit when they deliver the new one, though it is often conditional on the old appliance being disconnected and accessible.
What If the Appliance Still Works?
Before you treat anything as scrap, check whether it can keep working for someone else. A functioning fridge, stove or washer in clean condition has real value to a family setting up a first apartment, a newcomer household or a community organization.
At Get R Gone this is the entire point of our donation-first approach. Every load gets sorted, and reusable items are routed to appropriate donation partners before anything is treated as waste. If you want to explore local drop-off options yourself first, our guide to donation centres in London and St. Thomas walks through who takes what.
One honest caveat: many charities cannot accept large appliances due to liability, storage and testing requirements. Call ahead before loading anything.
When It Makes More Sense to Book a Pickup
Hauling one washer to Clarke Road in a pickup truck is a reasonable Saturday errand. The math changes fast in these situations:
- The appliance is downstairs. A full-size fridge weighs well over 100 kg and does not negotiate basement stairs politely.
- You have more than one unit. Multiple refrigerant appliances mean multiple per-unit fees and multiple trips.
- You do not have a truck. Rental, fuel and time usually exceed the cost of a quoted pickup.
- The load is mixed. Appliances go to one stream, furniture and mattresses to another, so a self-haul often means two destinations.
- There is a deadline. Real estate closings, tenant turnovers and estate cleanouts do not wait for depot hours.
- Anyone lifting is at risk. No decluttering project is worth a back injury.
Our appliance removal service covers fridges, freezers, stoves, washers, dryers, dishwashers, air conditioners, dehumidifiers and small kitchen appliances across London, St. Thomas and surrounding communities. If the job is specifically a fridge, our fridge removal page covers what that looks like, and pricing works on volume, explained in our guide to what junk removal costs in London and St. Thomas.
Pre-Pickup Checklist
Whether you self-haul or book a crew, five minutes of prep makes the removal faster and safer:
- Unplug the unit at least a few hours ahead, and longer for a fridge or freezer.
- Empty and defrost freezers and fridges, and wipe out any standing water.
- Disconnect water lines on washers, ice makers and dishwashers, and shut off the supply valve.
- Have gas appliances disconnected by a qualified technician before removal day.
- Clear the path from the appliance to the door, including mats, shoes and pet gates.
- Secure doors on fridges and freezers with tape or rope so they cannot swing open on the stairs.
- Note anything fragile along the route, such as railings, tight door frames or new flooring.
Frequently Asked Questions
Can I put an old appliance out with my garbage in London, Ontario?
No. The City of London specifically excludes appliances and electronics from curbside garbage and from the bulky item collection service. Appliances must be taken to a City EnviroDepot or the W12A Landfill, collected by a scrap metal service, or removed by a junk removal company.
How much does it cost to dispose of a fridge in London, Ontario?
The City lists a $20 per unit fee for appliances containing refrigerant, which includes fridges, freezers, air conditioners, dehumidifiers and water coolers, at both EnviroDepots and the W12A Landfill. Appliances without refrigerant fall under scrap metal and are accepted free of charge.
Where can I dispose of a fridge or freezer in St. Thomas?
The St. Thomas Community Recycling Centre at 330 South Edgeware Road accepts refrigerant-bearing appliances for $55 per unit if untagged, with a $30 minimum charge on loads containing chargeable material. Non-refrigerant appliances are accepted free of charge as scrap metal.
Do I need to remove the refrigerant myself before disposal?
No, and you should not attempt it. Ontario Regulation 463/10 requires refrigerant to be recovered by a qualified person before refrigeration equipment is dismantled or landfilled. Take the unit to a facility that handles refrigerant appliances, or use a removal service that routes them properly.
Will Get R Gone remove an appliance from my basement?
Yes. Basements, laundry rooms, garages and second-floor units are routine work for our crews. We assess the route, protect walls and floors, remove the appliance safely, and then sort the load for donation, scrap metal recycling and responsible disposal.
Getting the Old Appliance Out for Good
Appliance disposal in London, Ontario is not complicated once you know the one rule that matters: the curb is not an option. From there it comes down to whether you would rather spend the fees and the afternoon, or have a crew handle the lifting, the sorting and the drop-off in a single visit.
If you have a fridge, freezer, stove or washer that needs to go, contact Get R Gone for a free, no-obligation on-site quote in London, St. Thomas and the surrounding area. Donation first, junk removal second.
