Refrigerator & Freezer Recycling

 

Recycle your Refrigerator

Get started in 3 easy steps!

Schedule Your Appointment

Schedule an appointment by calling 888-798-5006 or schedule online.

 

Tell us how you want your unit picked up. 
In-Home or Outside Pick-up.

We offer the choice of an in-home pick-up appointment or an outside pick-up appointment (garage, patio, porch or behind garage). Whichever you are most comfortable with, we want to ensure you feel safe during the process. Just let us know which one you prefer when you schedule your appointment.

 

Receive Your Check

After you schedule your appointment, we will contact you to pick up your old working refrigerator or freezer at no cost and haul it away to be recycled. We will take care of all the paperwork and you will receive your check in about six to eight weeks. Checks will be issued to the electric account holder or other responsible party listed on the account.

Refrigerator and freezer qualifications

  • You must be a PNM customer and own the refrigerator or freezer. 
  • The refrigerator must be a regular household-sized unit (10-30 cubic feet in size).
  • The freezer must be at least 7 cubic feet or larger.
  • The refrigerator and/or freezer must be in working (cooling) order. If the unit turns on when it's plugged in, then it's working.  
  • The water line must be disconnected.
  • The refrigerator and/or freezer must be emptied of all food, beverages, and containers at the   time PNM comes to pick up the unit. Make sure the unit is completely empty.
  • Dorm-sized refrigerators do not qualify.
  • There is a limit of two refrigerators and/or freezers per household.


 

Reasons to recycle an old refrigerator or freezer.

At PNM, we recycle 95 percent of the appliance to ensure it doesn't end up in a landfill. All of the materials recycled include the metal cabinet, plastic liner, glass shelves, the refrigerant and oil in the compressor, and the blowing agent contained in the polyurethane foam insulation. This means that properly recycling your fridge prevents the release of ozone-depleting substances, greenhouse gases, polychlorinated biphenyls (PCBs), mercury, batteries, and oil into the environment. That's a lot - which is why it's our goal to help protect the environment in every way we can through our energy efficiency programs and give our customers rebates and savings on energy-efficient units.

Download the Appliance Recycling Fact Sheet to understand more about the benefits of recycling old inefficient appliances.

Find out how much you could save by replacing or disposing of an old refrigerator or freezer. 

What's in your fridge?

 


For Business Customers

PNM also offers a Refrigerator Recycling Program for business customers who are managing offices, or multi-family residences. A limit of two units applies however, more can be accepted if approved by PNM. Please call us at 888-798-5006 to find out more information or schedule an appointment here

 

 

Updated April 30th, 2024

FAQs: Refrigerator Recycling Rebate

  • Does my refrigerator or freezer have to be working for it to be recycled under this program?
    • Yes. We can only accept units that are in working order. 
  • How many units can I recycle?
    • Residential customers can recycle two refrigerators or freezers per account, per year.
  • I'm a landlord. Can I recycle a refrigerator?
    • If you are the PNM account holder or participate in the PNM Landlord Standby Program, you are eligible to receive the rebate. Typically, PNM can only pay a rebate to the account holder or other responsible party listed on the account.
  • Can I recycle my dorm-sized refrigerator?
    • No. We can only pick up and recycle refrigerators and freezers that are between 10 and 30 cubic feet in size. These dimensions refer to the interior space, rather than the outside dimensions, and can be found on the label on the refrigerator or freezer.
  • Where do the units go when they're removed from customers' homes?
    • All refrigerators and freezers begin the recycling process at the PNM Refrigerator Recycling Facility in Albuquerque. Here, they are disassembled, the harmful refrigerants and oils are removed, and the various materials are shipped to different recycling centers. All in all, 95% of each refrigerator or freezer is recycled.