Fridge and freezer disposal in Sussex: your options

An old fridge or freezer is one of the awkward household items. It is heavy, it cannot go in the bin, and the longer it stands in the hallway the more it leaks. The good news is that there are five sensible ways to move one on in Brighton, Hove and East Sussex, and a few of them cost nothing.

This guide goes through each route in turn, using the council and national rules we checked on 9 October 2026. It covers what each one needs from you, how long it takes and where it falls over, then what to do before the day. If the fridge is just one item in a bigger job, our council collection versus a man and van comparison shows how the numbers change with a longer list.

Five routes for an old fridge or freezer

Shop take-back and reuse cost the least, the tip is quick if you can lift and drive, and the council or a licensed carrier suits a fridge you cannot move yourself.

Why a fridge cannot go in the bin

Fridges contain coolant gases and insulating foam that must be captured at a specialist plant, and the law has required approved contractors since 2002.

The Recycle Your Electricals campaign explains that the coolants in a fridge are a greenhouse gas which must be captured to avoid polluting the environment, and that insulating foams such as polyurethane must also be dealt with properly. It says that since 2002 old fridges must, by law, be disposed of through approved contractors. GOV.UK separately lists equipment containing ozone depleting substances, like fridges, as an example of hazardous waste for businesses. In practice this means a fridge has a proper route, and anyone who takes one should be able to tell you what it is.

It also explains why leaving one by the roadside is a bad idea. Brighton and Hove City Council says items left on the road or pavement count as fly-tipping, with a fine of up to £400, and the Recycle Your Electricals guidance says simply leaving white goods on the pavement is against the law.

Route 1: let the shop take it back

If you are buying a replacement, the shop must take your old one for free, and you have 28 days after buying to hand it in.

This is the easiest route and the least known. Recycle Your Electricals says any shop selling electricals must offer free take-back of a broadly similar item, of any brand, when you buy a new one, and that the rule has applied across the UK since 1 January 2021. You do not have to have bought the old fridge from that shop, and you have 28 days after buying the new one to hand it over with the receipt. Because a fridge is bulky, the guidance says the retailer will probably collect it from your home.

Two things are worth doing at the till. Ask for the collection to happen on the same visit as the delivery, so the old one leaves the day the new one arrives. And ask what condition the old one needs to be in, because most will want it empty, defrosted and disconnected. The same GOV.UK page on getting rid of household waste confirms you can give a shop an old electrical when you buy a new one with the same function. Some retailers charge for delivery or installation even where take-back is free, so check the total before you order.

Route 2: book the council collection

Brighton and Hove collects domestic fridges and freezers for £47 each, but slots were running three to four weeks ahead on 9 October 2026.

The council's large item collection lists an under-counter fridge or freezer and a fridge freezer or chest freezer among its white goods. White goods are priced higher than the standard rate, at £47 per item when we checked. You book by phone on 01273 292 929, Monday to Friday, 9:30am to 1:30pm, and pay by debit card for a quote given on the call. The council warns the line can be extremely busy.

The rules matter more than the price. The appliance has to be accessible on a driveway or in a garden, or just inside the front door if you have no outside space, so a fridge in a first-floor kitchen has to come down to you before the crew arrives. The council says it will not take responsibility for damage during collection, and the crew can refuse an item or give a revised quote if it is not as described on the phone. Describe it honestly: a chest freezer is not an under-counter fridge.

For Lewes, Newhaven, Seaford and the rest of East Sussex, the equivalent is whatever your own district council offers, so check its website for a bulky or large item service before you assume it is the same. Our guide to the old furniture options in Brighton and Hove explains how the council service compares with the rest.

Route 3: take it to the tip

Brighton and Hove's tips take fridges, East Sussex sites vary, and both ask for ID and the right vehicle.

Brighton and Hove's list of what the recycling sites accept includes fridges and freezers under electrical items, and no charge for them is stated. The sites are Hove (Modbury Way) and Brighton (Whitehawk, off Wilson Avenue), and the council's page shows no booking system. The access rules are where people are caught out. Car drivers may be asked for photo ID showing a Brighton and Hove address plus matching proof of residency dated within three months. Van drivers need two forms of ID, a hired van needs its rental agreement, and Luton and box-bodied vans, flatbeds and tippers are banned. If you are collecting a fridge for a friend or relative, they must come with you and bring ID. We covered the same rules in our mattress disposal guide, because they apply to every load.

East Sussex County Council runs ten sites, including Lewes and Newhaven, and says you must book a slot before visiting. Its site rules let you book up to two weeks ahead, or the same day if a slot is free, and you show the booking and one proof of residency on arrival. Vans are only allowed on Tuesdays, Thursdays and Saturdays and must be booked as a van, and large vehicles, Luton and box vehicles are banned. The council's site list has a fridges and freezers filter, so check that your nearest site takes them before you go. East Sussex residents do not pay for household waste, while non-residents pay £8.75 per visit, though the council waives that if you are disposing of waste for a resident you are helping.

The practical problem is the lifting. A full-size fridge freezer is awkward and heavy, and carrying one down stairs is how backs and door frames get damaged. If it is not a two-person, ground-floor job, one of the other routes is safer.

Route 4: give it away or donate it

A clean, working fridge can be reused, but reuse takes effort: charities are choosy and free listings need someone to turn up.

Recycle Your Electricals notes that some charities welcome fridges and freezers if they are in good working order or can be refurbished. Brighton and Hove's donating unwanted items page lists Freecycle, Freegle, Olio, Gumtree and Facebook Marketplace for giving things away, and names Emmaus Brighton and Hove, YMCA, Martlets, Now! Charity and Age UK East Sussex as charities that may collect large items. The page does not say which of them take white goods, so ring first and describe the appliance before you promise anyone a collection.

A fridge is only worth offering if it works, is clean inside and is safe to use. A smelly, rusty or broken one is waste, and listing it as free only delays the job. Do not leave an unwanted appliance outside a charity shop. If nobody replies within a week or so, move on to a route that takes it.

Route 5: use a licensed man and van

A registered carrier suits a fridge on the first floor, a deadline, or a job where the fridge is only one of many items.

This is the route for the awkward jobs: a flat with no lift, a landlord handing keys back on Friday, or a kitchen full of appliances. The carrier brings the crew to lift it, takes it away in the same visit and can combine the fridge with whatever else is going. GOV.UK says that if a private business removes your waste you should check it is on the Environment Agency register of waste carriers and select upper tier, and that handing waste to someone not allowed to take it can lead to a fixed penalty notice or prosecution.

Check the carrier on the public register of waste carriers before you agree anything. Right Turn's licence number is CBDU621046, and Lewis does every job himself. White goods are part of the agreed loads he removes, and the price is quoted from your photos, so it depends on the number of items, the stairs and the parking. Our guide to checking a clearance company is legal lists the questions to ask, and it applies to a single fridge as much as a whole house. Where the fridge is part of a bigger job, such as clearing a kitchen or a whole flat, our house clearance service covers the lot in one visit, and the man and van page explains the smaller jobs.

Get the fridge ready for the day

Empty it, switch it off and defrost it first, then clear the route to the door and measure anything tight.

Every route is easier, and sometimes only possible, if the appliance is ready. The Recycle Your Electricals guide says you will probably need to defrost first, and it is the single most useful job. Here is the order we suggest.

1. Empty it. Take out the food, shelves and drawers, and check the back of the freezer for forgotten bags.
2. Switch it off and defrost. Do it the day before, with towels and a tray to catch the meltwater.
3. Wipe it out. A clean, dry fridge is less likely to be refused and no one wants to carry a smell.
4. Secure the door. Tape it shut for the move, and keep it shut afterwards so a child cannot climb inside.
5. Clear the route. Move shoes, rugs and bins, and check the stairs, corners and the front door.
6. Photograph it. Take one photo of the appliance and one of the route out, and send both with the postcode.

If the fridge is built in, say so in your photos and enquiry. An integrated unit may need disconnecting or removing from a cabinet first, and it is worth knowing who will do that before the crew turns up.

What to send with your enquiry

Whichever route you choose, the people collecting need roughly the same details. A good message saves a second phone call and makes the quote closer to the real job.

• The type of appliance: under-counter fridge, tall fridge freezer or chest freezer.
• Photos of the appliance and the route to the door, including stairs.
• The postcode, the floor and whether there is a lift.
• Whether it works and whether it has been defrosted.
• Parking and access, including a resident parking zone or a narrow road.
• Any other items going at the same time.

Lewis does not publish prices, because they depend on the job. You will get a clear price once he has seen the photos, and what shapes a clearance quote is the volume, access, stairs and parking. For a move rather than a disposal, the home removals page covers the rest.