Disposal of fridges and freezers

Most waste fridges and freezers will be classified as hazardous waste due to their CFC content. It is therefore essential that these are disposed of correctly in order to comply with the Hazardous Waste Regulations 2005

When you are replacing an item with a similar item please ask the supplier to take away the old item where possible.

If this is not possible and you need to dispose of an item, please e-mail janet.shippen@manchester.ac.uk who will provide a fridge/freezer collection note and advise on any costs and subsequent collection/disposal. Please contact 0161 306 5965 for any assistance in this.

All fridges/freezers need to be accompanied by a decontamination certificate before they can be collected by the Campus Cleansing Unit (CCU), even if they have not been used in a lab. This includes fridges/freezers that have been used in staff kitchens. All items must have been emptied of all contents and cleaned before they can be disposed of.

Disposal costs

The contractors we use for the disposal/recycling of fridges/freezers and other large electrical items changed in June 2024 and in most cases these items are now disposed of/recycled by Wastecare.

As a result of this change there are now charges for certain types of items. Charges will vary depending on the type of item and its weight/size but indicative costs are as follows (not including collection costs which will vary depending on the number of items being collected):

  • under counter sized domestic type fridges/freezers - FOC
  • under counter sized industrial/lab fridges/freezers - £40
  • upright domestic type fridges/freezers - £20
  • upright industrial/lab fridges/freezers £90
  • medium sized/under counter incubator and chiller units (refrigerated) - £90
  • medium sized/under counter incubator (non-refrigerated) - £40
  • medium/lab top centrifuge - £40
  • domestic type chest freezer - £20
  • Low temperature chest freezer - £90

For such items please contact janet.shippen@manchester.ac.uk and provide a cost code so that an internal recharge can be made. A form will be issued which needs to be attached to the items being disposed of (in addition to a completed decontamination certificate).

Most fridges/freezers are collected by CCU and stored securely at the Environmental Services Depot prior to collection by external contractors. See here for a video of the recycling process.

Large items such as -80 freezers, incubators and centrifuges may be too large/heavy for Campus Cleansing to collect/remove, in which case a direct collection via external contractors needs to be arranged. In these instances please contact simon.atkinson@manchester.ac.uk to make arrangements – you will need to provide technical details of the item/s as well as a photo and the weight of the item so that a quote can be obtained.