In This Article
- Why the refrigerant step comes first
- Scrap Yards and Recycling Centers Directory
- Longview's Bulky Item and Landfill Rules
- Curbside and Bulk Pickup
- Other Options: Retailer Haul-Away and Junk Removal
- Common Mistakes
- Tex's Take
- FAQ
Getting rid of a dead refrigerator in Longview takes exactly one more step than most people expect. You can't roll it to the curb on trash day. You can't even put it out for the city's Bulky Item Service, the one that handles couches, mattresses, and busted furniture four times a year. Refrigerators get excluded by name. The reason comes down to what's inside the compressor, not the size of the thing.
Why This Matters
Every refrigerator built since the 1950s holds refrigerant, whether that's old-style R-12 or a newer blend like R-134a. Federal law under EPA Section 608 requires a certified technician to recover that refrigerant before the unit is scrapped, recycled, or landfilled. EPA's own disposal guidance spells out the recovery percentages a technician has to hit. TCEQ enforces this at the state level in Texas. Skip it, and you're not just breaking a rule. You're the reason Pine Hill Landfill turns your truck around at the gate. Houston residents run into this same wall, just with a different set of drop-off centers — see our refrigerator recycling guide for Houston for how it plays out there.
Step 1: Get the Refrigerant Removed and Documented
Before you load the fridge into anything, call an HVAC or appliance repair technician certified in refrigerant recovery. They'll pull the refrigerant and hand you a signed certification letter. Keep that letter with the unit. Every drop-off point in this article either requires it outright or will ask for it if the fridge looks old enough to raise a question. There's no shortcut here. A fridge without a tag is a fridge nobody in Longview will take off your hands for free.
Scrap Yards and Recycling Centers Directory
| Center | Address | Phone | Hours | Fee |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Jennings Scrap & Salvage Co. | 2600 E Marshall Ave, Longview, TX 75601 | (903) 753-6472 | Mon-Fri 8am-5pm, closed Sat-Sun | They pay you for the metal, weight-based |
| Longview Scrap & Metal Co. | 5013 W Loop 281, Longview, TX 75607 | 903-758-3276 | Mon-Fri 8am-4:45pm | Weight-based — call ahead to confirm they take whole units |
| Pine Hill Landfill (Republic Services) | Hwy 31 & FM 1252, south of Longview | 800-678-7274 | Mon-Thu 7-5, Fri 7-4, Sat 8-11 | Standard tipping fee, resident discount available — call to confirm amount |
Curbside and Bulk Pickup
Bulk pickup is the move for a lot of Longview's bulky waste. Just not this one. Residents get four bulky item collections a year by calling the Sanitation Department at 903-237-1250 or submitting a request through the CitySend app, but refrigerators are on the excluded list every time. Don't set it out expecting the crew to grab it. They won't, and you'll be left hauling it back inside or waiting on a different plan.
Other Options
If you're replacing the fridge, Home Depot's delivery service will haul the old one away for a $25 to $50 fee, tied one-for-one to the new unit being delivered. It has to be emptied and defrosted, and disconnected from water or ice-maker lines before the crew shows up. They won't do that disconnection for you. Home Depot's own delivery checklist lays out what has to be ready before they arrive. Best Buy runs a similar program tied to their own appliance purchases. If you'd rather not buy anything new, a private junk removal company will take it for a flat fee, refrigerant recovery usually bundled into the price. Ask before booking, since not all of them include it.
Common Mistakes
Showing up at Pine Hill without a certification letter is the big one. The gate attendant won't argue with you, they'll just send you back. Setting a fridge out for bulky pickup is the second. It sits at the curb through a Longview July until code enforcement or a neighbor calls it in. And assuming any scrap yard takes whole appliances the same way they take loose metal is a guess, not a fact. Call first.
Tex's Take
The refrigerant rule trips up more Longview residents than anything else in this process. It's not a city invention, it's federal, and every legitimate drop-off point enforces it the same way. Skip the certified tech and you're just moving the fridge from your driveway to a scrap yard's parking lot, where it sits until someone tells you the same thing I just did. Get the letter first. Everything after that is just picking which option is most convenient.
FAQ
Can I put a refrigerator out for Longview's Bulky Item pickup?
No. Refrigerant-containing items are explicitly excluded from that service.
Does Pine Hill Landfill take refrigerators?
Only with the refrigerant already recovered and a certification letter attached to the unit.
How much does Home Depot charge to haul away an old refrigerator?
Typically $25 to $50, and only when it's replacing a new refrigerator delivered by Home Depot.
Will a scrap yard pay me for an old refrigerator?
Jennings Scrap & Salvage buys old appliances by weight. Longview Scrap & Metal takes metal by weight too, but call ahead to confirm they'll take a whole unit rather than stripped parts.
Data last verified July 2026 against official City of Longview solid waste sources, Republic Services, and business listings for Jennings Scrap & Salvage Co. and Longview Scrap & Metal Co. Hours, fees, and accepted items can change without notice. Call ahead before making a trip.
Get the Freon tag first. After that, Jennings Scrap & Salvage at 903-753-6472 is the most straightforward option most weeks — call them before you load the truck.
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