What Junk Removal Companies Can't Take in Louisville, and Where to Take It Instead

Dustin Hobbs

Sep 24

5 min read

Junk removal companies in Louisville, including Michael's Junk Removal, can't haul hazardous materials such as chemicals, paint, asbestos, propane tanks and medical waste. Louisville and Jefferson County residents can drop most of these off for free at the Haz Bin, 7501 Grade Lane. Electronics and tires go to the Waste Reduction Center on Meriwether Avenue.

Here's the full list of what a crew won't load, where each item goes instead, and what we can take that people often assume we can't.

What won't a junk removal crew take?

For safety reasons, Michael's Junk Removal doesn't take:

Chemicals, including pesticides, herbicides, solvents and pool chemicals
Paint, both latex and oil-based
Gasoline, automotive fluids and other flammable liquids
Propane tanks, pressurized cylinders and aerosol containers
Asbestos-containing materials
Medical waste and sharps
Explosives, ammunition and radioactive materials
Biohazards

If you're not sure about something, call before the crew arrives. It's easier to sort out on the phone than on the driveway.

Where do Louisville residents take household hazardous waste?

The Haz Bin at 7501 Grade Lane takes household hazardous waste from Louisville and Jefferson County residents for free. It's open Tuesday through Saturday, 9:30 a.m. to 4 p.m. It does not take hazardous waste from businesses.

Items it accepts include:

Oil-based and lead paint, spray paint, varnishes and stains
Gasoline, kerosene, automotive fluids and Freon
Pesticides, herbicides and lawn and garden chemicals (you leave the container there)
Cleaners, solvents, degreasers, mineral spirits and pool chemicals
Batteries of all kinds, fluorescent and LED bulbs, and mercury thermometers
Grill and camping-size propane tanks
Fire extinguishers and smoke detectors
Asbestos floor tiles, under 25 pounds

It will not take containers larger than 5 gallons or 40 pounds, more than 25 pounds of asbestos, ammunition, expired medication or latex paint. Don't put chemicals in trash bags for the trip, because bags leak.

How do you get rid of paint in Louisville?

It depends on the type:

Latex paint. Louisville no longer has a latex paint recycling program. If there's a little left, take the lid off and let it dry somewhere well ventilated, away from kids and pets. For larger amounts, a drying agent or kitty litter speeds it up. Once it's dry, seal the can in a plastic bag and put it in your garbage cart. The metal lid can be recycled.
Oil-based or lead paint. Take it to the Haz Bin.
New, unopened paint. Habitat ReStore at 4044 Taylorsville Road accepts new, unopened paint with a complete label. It doesn't take opened paint, stains or chemicals.

What about propane tanks and gas cylinders?

The Haz Bin accepts grill and camping-size propane tanks. Anything larger than 5 gallons or 40 pounds is over its limit, so call the company that fills or leased the tank. Helium balloon tanks aren't accepted either. Empty them following the manufacturer's instructions and take them to a scrap metal recycler.

What should you do about asbestos?

Leave it where it is until you have a plan. Asbestos that isn't disturbed is not dangerous. It becomes a hazard when it's broken or crumbles and the fibers get into the air.

Small amounts of floor tile. The Haz Bin takes asbestos floor tiles under 25 pounds.
Anything bigger. Kentucky doesn't regulate asbestos removal in single-family homes or buildings with four or fewer apartments. Even so, the state Energy and Environment Cabinet recommends a certified asbestos abatement contractor for anything that might crumble, and it publishes a list of certified contractors.
In Louisville. The Louisville Metro Air Pollution Control District requires a permit and a licensed contractor for removal from any building other than a private home or an apartment building with four or fewer units. It may also require permits for projects that wouldn't need one elsewhere in Kentucky, so call APCD first if you're remodeling.

Where do electronics, appliances and tires go?

We can take most of these, but you have free city options too.

Electronics. Michael's Junk Removal picks up TVs, computers, monitors, printers, phones and other electronics through our electronics recycling service. If you'd rather drop them off yourself, Louisville residents can recycle up to three electronic items or systems for free at the Waste Reduction Center, 636 Meriwether Avenue (the entrance is on Bland Street). Usable laptops, tablets and phones can go to the city's Done With IT program with no limit. Nationally, the EPA reports that 2.7 million tons of selected consumer electronics were generated in 2018, and the recycling rate was 38.5 percent.
Refrigerators and other appliances. We remove refrigerators, freezers, washers, dryers, stoves and water heaters. See our appliance removal page. Metro's curbside Large Item Pickup doesn't take anything that contains, or once contained, Freon. You can drop up to four of those at the Waste Reduction Center for free.
Tires. We can't take every type of tire, so call (502) 627-0414 before you add tires to a load. Louisville residents can drop off up to four passenger tires a day at the Waste Reduction Center for free. Kentucky also runs free waste tire collection events county by county, paid for by the $2 fee on new tires. According to the Kentucky Energy and Environment Cabinet, Kentuckians generated 46,642 tons (4.66 million passenger tire equivalents) of waste tires in 2023, and landfill disposal took 22.4 percent of Kentucky-generated tires that year. Since 1998, the program has funded the removal and disposal of approximately 29.2 million passenger tire equivalents.

What about medications and medical waste?

The Haz Bin doesn't take expired medication. Louisville's monthly Pop-Up Drop-Off events take prescription medication, collected on site by the Jefferson County Sheriff's Department. The events run on Saturdays from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m., generally March through November. The remaining 2026 dates are October 17 at Metro Fleet Services, 3515 Newburg Road, and November 21 at the UofL Shelby Campus, 440 N. Whittington Parkway. Louisville Metro reports a 53% diversion rate at its 2025 Pop-Up Drop-Off events.

What if you live in Bullitt County?

The Haz Bin and the Waste Reduction Center are for Louisville and Jefferson County residents, so people in Shepherdsville, Mount Washington and the rest of Bullitt County need to use local options. The Bullitt County Recycling Center is at 1675 South Preston in Shepherdsville, (502) 531-2038. Call them to ask what they accept and whether a hazardous waste collection day is coming up. If Rumpke is your trash hauler, ask them about bulky and special items too.

How should you prepare before the crew arrives?

A few minutes of sorting keeps the job moving:

Walk the garage, basement and shed and pull out paint, chemicals, fuel cans and propane tanks. Those are the places they usually turn up. Our garage cleanout crew handles everything else.
Keep hazardous items in their original containers and set them apart.
Put medications in a separate bag for a Pop-Up Drop-Off event.
Leave everything else to the crew. We take furniture, mattresses, appliances, electronics, yard debris, construction debris and general household junk, and we donate or recycle what we can.

Frequently asked questions

Can you take a half-empty can of paint if it's mostly dry?

We don't take paint. Once latex paint has dried solid, Louisville lets you seal the can in a plastic bag and put it in your own garbage cart. Oil-based paint goes to the Haz Bin.

Will you take a refrigerator?

Yes. We remove refrigerators and freezers and recycle them whenever possible. Unplug and empty the fridge ahead of time so it doesn't leak on the way out.

What if I find something hazardous in the middle of a cleanout?

Hazardous items can't go in the truck, so they stay behind for you to take to the Haz Bin or another proper drop-off later. Everything else still goes.

Call (502) 627-0414 or get a free estimate and book online to save $20.