Appliance Removal in Vancouver & Metro Vancouver

You can't put a fridge at the curb. Fridges and freezers contain refrigerant gases (usually R-134a, older units may have R-12) that are regulated under the federal ozone-depleting substances rules — they legally have to be drained by a certified technician before the appliance is scrapped. Your realistic options are: drop it off at a Metro Vancouver transfer station that accepts refrigerated appliances (there's a per-unit fee and you're responsible for loading it), book the city's Large Item Pickup where available, or have a junk removal service take it. We take fridges directly to a scrap partner that removes the refrigerant on-site.

Yes. Because refrigerant has to be drained by a licensed technician before the metal shell is scrapped, every disposal channel — transfer station, city pickup, or a hauler like us — includes a per-unit refrigerant handling fee. In Metro Vancouver that's typically in the $30–$50 per fridge range. It's rolled into our quote as a line item so you can see exactly what the pass-through is; we don't mark it up.

Most of an appliance is recyclable — usually around 75–90% by weight, because steel, aluminum, copper wiring, and glass all come out cleanly at a scrap facility. The parts that aren't recyclable are things like insulation foam in older fridges, some plastics, and refrigerant (which is recovered separately, not recycled into new fridges). We take metal appliances to a certified scrap yard in the Lower Mainland rather than the landfill wherever we can.

Ideally, yes — turn off the water valve behind a washer or dishwasher and unplug the unit. If you're not comfortable doing that, tell us when you book and we'll handle the unplug and the water shutoff. What we don't do is cut into plumbing or gas lines; if a dryer or stove is hardwired or hooked to a gas line, you'll want a plumber or electrician to disconnect it before pickup for safety.