Appliances

Minnesota law prohibits the disposal of major appliances at solid waste facilities and processing centers.

Appliances Include:

air conditioners, clothes washers and dryers, dehumidifiers, dishwashers, freezers, furnaces, garbage disposals, heat pumps, water heaters, conventional and microwave ovens, refrigerators, stoves and trash compactors.

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Disposal Information

Major appliances may contain hazardous materials such as mercury, PCBs (polychlorinated biphenyls), CFCs (chlorofluorocarbons), fluorescent tubes, rechargeable back-up batteries and oils that must be properly removed before the appliance can be recycled or disposed.

A person or business removing CFCs from appliances must be certified by the Minnesota Pollution Control Agency (MPCA) as a Type I, Type II, Type III or Universal Technician.

Refrigerants such as CFCs must be captured and not knowingly released into the atmosphere. For more information, see the MPCA requirements on-line at Appliance Servicing - Special Pollutant: CFC.

A person or business removing components containing mercury or ballasts and capacitors containing PCBs may be required to comply with the Federal Universal Waste Rules (40CFR 273) or Minnesota's Hazardous Waste Rules for managing these materials, and in some cases, may be required to be licensed as a hazardous waste generator. Contact your county environmental office for more information.

The following businesses refurbish appliances and/or remove hazardous waste prior to recycling or disposal of the appliances: