Air conditioner and air conditioning recycling

GoRecycle only accepts the following types of household air conditioners:

Portable air conditioner

Window air conditioner or vertical window air conditioner

Wall-mounted air conditioners and heat pumps are not accepted within the GoRecycle program. If you wish to recycle this type of air conditioner, please contact a refrigeration technician, who can handle your appliance as specified by the standards of the Commission de la construction du Québec (CCQ). These standards require that a certified refrigeration technician must remove the appliance, disconnect it in a safe manner, and recover any gas before recycling it. For more information, see the Corporation des entreprises de traitement de l’air et du froid (CETAF) and the HRAI.

Why recycle your old air conditioner?

To prevent the emission of greenhouse gas

When an air conditioner is left on the side of the road or recycled improperly, it generates greenhouse gas.

Recycling an air conditioner is equivalent to refusing 684,932 plastic straws

To protect nature

When you recycle your old portable or window air conditioner responsibly, you ensure that the harmful materials inside it won’t pollute nature.

To help reduce waste

In Quebec, an estimated 300,000 cooling appliances are left on the side of the road each year instead of being recycled properly. By recycling your old air conditioning unit, you directly contribute to reducing waste in the environment.

How to get rid of your old portable or window air conditioner in an environmentally friendly manner

Bring it to a drop-off location

Nearly 400 official GoRecycle drop-off locations are available to you to ensure that your air conditioner is recycled responsibly.

Find your nearest drop-off location

What’s inside your old portable or window air conditioner?

Air conditioners contain harmful materials. Among other things, your unit contains contaminated oil, refrigerant gases, plastics, metals and glass.

When you entrust your air conditioner to GoRecycle, over 95% of these materials are recovered to make new products!

How is your old air conditioner recycled?

We work together with our recycling partners to process the air conditioners we receive. Once the appliances are collected and brought to their recycling centre, the following steps are taken to recover materials:

Removing oils, refrigerant gases, the compressor and certain pipes inside the appliance.

Manually dismantling the air conditioner to remove the various components and separate materials.

The result?

+

95

%

of the appliance's materials are recovered.

Who recycles your old water dispenser?

Our official GoRecycle partners : Coderr, L’atelier – Centre de travail adapté, Défi Polyteck, Groupe Aptas and Option Métal, are responsible for recycling your air conditioners in Quebec in an eco-friendly manner.

These social economy enterprises alone recycle over 55,000 household and cooling appliances each year, preventing the emission of more than 44,000 metric tonnes of CO2, which is equal to approximately 18,000 cars.

These local recyclers are social enterprises that support vulnerable populations, including people furthest from the labour market, those living with functional limitations, physical or mental disabilities, or employability issues, as well as young workers aged 18 to 44 with no work experience.

When you trust GoRecycle to recycle your air conditioner at one of its drop-off points in Quebec, you actively help make a positive impact on these local communities.

Ready to significantly reduce your ecological footprint by recycling your old air conditioner?

Find a drop-off location

Have you considered reusing your air conditioner?

Is your air conditioner still functional, but you no longer need it? Consider reuse!

Are you sure your air conditioner has reached the end of its useful life? Save time and money by having it repaired.

Reuse your appliance