Appliance Removal in Janesville, WI

Wisconsin will not let an appliance go in the trash

State law is blunt about it: "No person may dispose of a lead acid battery or a major appliance in a solid waste disposal facility in this state" (Wis. Stat. s. 287.07). The one carve-out is a microwave, which can go to a landfill once its capacitor has been removed. So a refrigerator at the curb on trash day is not going in the truck, and the landfill keeps appliances in a separate area.

The refrigerant rule, NR 488

Refrigerators, freezers, air conditioners and dehumidifiers hold refrigerant. Under Wisconsin's NR 488, anyone who salvages, dismantles or transports that equipment, including scrap dealers, HVAC businesses, demolition contractors and waste haulers, has to register with the DNR every year, and the person recovering the refrigerant has to be trained and certified on approved recovery equipment (Wis. Admin. Code NR 488). That is why a fridge costs more to get rid of than a washer almost everywhere, and why it is worth asking any hauler where your unit ends up.

Local fees if you haul it yourself

• Janesville landfill: no fee for clothes washers and dryers, dishwashers, ovens and stoves, furnaces, boilers or water heaters. $15 each for air conditioners, dehumidifiers, microwaves, refrigerators and freezers, with fridge doors removed (city appliance page).
• City of Beloit: $20 per appliance, prepaid and scheduled like any bulky item (Beloit collection page).
• Village of Clinton: appliances go out with the monthly bulk pickup on the second Thursday, after a call to GFL.
• City of Brodhead: the city's June clean-up does not take refrigerators, dehumidifiers, air conditioners or ovens and sends them to the Green County Landfill.

What removal costs

Angi puts a major appliance at $60 to $250 and HomeAdvisor at $50 to $400 per unit. LawnStarter's average is $120 for one appliance and $135 for a washer and dryer pair ($80 to $185). HomeGuide lists a washer or dryer at $70 to $205. Basement units, stairs and a unit that has to come apart to leave the room push toward the top. See all ranges on the pricing page.