A household refrigerator is being scrapped for disposal. What must happen to its refrigerant charge before disposal?
Not quite. The answer is C: The refrigerant must be recovered with certified recovery equipment to the required level before the appliance is disposed of, dismantled, or scrapped — either by the person disposing of it or, at the end of the chain, verified in writing by the scrap or disposal facility
The venting prohibition has no 'it is being scrapped anyway' exception. Refrigerant must be recovered before a small appliance is disposed of; the rule lets the final processor (a scrap recycler, for instance) either do the recovery itself or accept a signed statement or contract verifying that it was properly recovered upstream, and keep that paperwork for three years. Note that a person who only disposes of a small appliance is not required to hold a technician certification, but must still use certified recovery equipment.
Reference: 40 CFR Part 82 § 82.155 (Safe disposal of appliances)
Checked against the official text
Read the eCFR text current through 2026-10-30 of § 82.155. (a) requires persons recovering refrigerant from a small appliance for disposal to use certified equipment and the § 82.156 levels; (b) lets the final processor either recover it or verify by signed statement or contract that it was recovered. § 82.161(a)(1)(vii) says people who dispose of small appliances need not be certified.