Appliance removal in Fort Collins starts with the Freon question

Appliances with refrigerant

Refrigerators, freezers, air conditioners, dehumidifiers and water coolers contain Freon. The City’s appliance guidance, retrieved September 27, 2026, says state law requires an appropriately licensed company to remove it before disposal. Timberline Recycling Center does not accept Freon items at all.

Federal rules put the duty on whoever disposes of the appliance last. When someone else recovered the refrigerant, the EPA expects a signed statement giving that person’s name and address and the date. Keep the paper with the appliance until it is gone.

Appliances without it

Stoves, ovens, washers, dryers and dishwashers are mostly metal. The City’s guide lists Timberline’s Hard-to-Recycle Yard and Colorado Iron & Metal at 903 E. Buckingham St. among places that recycle them, and suggests a used appliance store for one still in good shape.

What the county charges

At the Trilby transfer station the county fee schedule lists $36 for an appliance with Freon and $20 for one without. Those are gate fees only. A hauler’s price adds the carry, the truck and the time, and a chest freezer coming up basement stairs is a two-person job.

Never cut a line to make a fridge lighter. The Loveland Recycling Center says it charges its refrigerant fee whenever a line has been cut, because the proof of proper removal is gone.