we live on a culdesac, there is de minimus traffic and we could never get rid of anything that way. we have to wait for AmVets, Purple Heart or National Children’s Center to call and they schedule pickups. we always have something for them when they call or we can certainly dig something up for them.
In theory, you have to take an old A/C to a recycling center or otherwise pay for someone to remove the freon and tag it so it can be properly disposed.
If it is still out there on garbage day, the haulers can’t take it unless it’s tagged.
In practice, it has never come to that.