Moon dumpsters will take care of your trash and household waste when it becomes unmanageable so that you don't have to burn it in your backyard.

Why You Should Never Burn Household Waste

When trash and debris start piling up, it might be ingrained in some of us that the most effective, time-saving, and economical way to get rid of it is to throw it in a heap and burn it.

Especially now, as spring edges into the weather and it warms up enough that folks take it as a sign to start shaking off the last vestiges of winter and jump right into the thick of spring cleaning and DIY projects or renovations, a lot of us find that there’s a whole lot of junk that’s accumulated over the colder months, both inside and outside.

The worst part of it is that these things might come in quantities that seem unreasonable and would require far too much work to haul to your nearest garbage dump. The only thing left to do seems to be to burn all the clutter and scraps that won’t fit in your trash container.

What you may not have been told, though, is that burning your household waste has tons of unintentional consequences – both direct and indirect.

Consider the Consequences

Barrel burning is a practice that has been outlawed by cities across the country, and for good reason. It’s the same thing as burning your household waste in your fire pit, a fireplace, or a pile of stick in your backyard.

Here’s four big, extensively-studied reasons not to burn your trash and debris!

1. It compromises your health.

Especially in small areas, smoke is never the best for you to be inhaling. But when it comes to household waste, the temperature that it burns at does not combust materials efficiently, which releases the pollutants and harmful chemicals that were used to make what you’re burning – such as plastics, rubber, and other materials that become cancerous when broken down – or were sprayed onto it, like pesticides or wood treatments, into the air. This can lead to the development or the exacerbation of severe health issues, especially for children, teenagers, pregnant women, the elderly, and people with preexisting respiratory conditions like asthma, allergies, pneumonia, bronchiolitis, or emphysema.

2. It has negative impacts on the environment.

All of those bad chemicals and pollutants don’t only affect the air quality. These byproducts can sink into the soil and infiltrate the groundwater supply, as well, especially if you’re burning in large or frequent quantities. But, even taking away the big picture, the most affected area will be that at ground zero, which means your lawn and garden will be bearing a substantial portion of the environmental impact.

3. You can’t control it.

There is very little that you can control when it comes to fire, even if it’s in a contained space in an open area. Fires can still start as trees and plants start to dry out in the warmer days, and it only takes a fly-away piece of smoldering paper to start something bigger. The smoke, especially if burning chemically-made waste, will change with the wind, and it might cause a sore spot with your neighbors, who will be just as exposed to the smell, health impacts, and environmental impacts are you and your family.

4. You could get fined.

In Kentucky and Southern Indiana, open burn violation fines can range from $2,500-$25,000. A full list of items that you can and cannot burn in Kentucky can be found on the government website in PDF format here, and the same list for Indiana can be found on their government website, as well.

Look at Other Options

Renting a dumpster is an options that can cost you less, is far easier, and much better for you, the environment, and your reputation than burning your trash.

Moon Dumpsters offers delivery right to your driveway and then straight to the dump when you’re done, so you don’t have to worry about transporting your household waste, only getting it out of your house and yard and into one of our premium dumpsters! We offer a variety of sizes that range from 6 cubic yards to 40, so you won’t have a problem finding one that isn’t overkill for a job that was just out of reach of your truck, or one that can fit big projects.

Don’t burn your household waste – send it to the Moon!

Consider renting a Moon Mini Dumpster, no matter what size project you choose to undertake. Our driveway dumpsters come in 6, 9, 12, 16, 20, 30, and 40 cubic yard capacities. Affordable and lightweight, a dumpster will be delivered directly to you and placed on boards for surface protection. We are environmentally-friendly, locally-owned, and willing to work with any time frame. Give us a call at 502-772-2821 to learn more!

Recycling Louisville, Things You Can Recycle

What Can I Recycle in Louisville Kentucky?

Disposing of waste in a clean and environmentally friendly manner is hard. From overrun landfills to bigger issues like this “garbage patch” in the Pacific Ocean, we clearly have some problems surrounding what to do with our garbage. Recycling is one solution and a great way to practice sustainability and conservation from home. Most cities, including Louisville, even have recycling pickup programs to make recycling as easy as possible. However, sometimes recycling can be confusing. Keeping track of everything you can and can’t recycle can leave you feeling lost, and may prevent some from recycling at all. That’s why we’ve put together this simple guide of what you can and can’t recycle here in Louisville, Kentucky. 

Do Recycle 

Paper and cardboard are recycling no-brainers. Things like newspapers, broken down cardboard boxes, and paper/cardboard drink cartons are all items that you can recycle with no issues. Similarly, you can also recycle most plastics. Things like water bottles, milk jugs, and food packaging are also allowed to be recycled in Louisville. Glass is another material commonly accepted. So if you have some old bottles or jars around the house make sure not to throw them away! The last material on our list of recycling “do’s” is metal. This includes empty cans, foil, and small foil/tin pans.

Don’t Recycle

Although the categories above contain many recyclable items, there are some notable exceptions. For example, although most glass and plastic items are accepted by the city, plastic bags and lightbulbs are not. Luckily, many stores like Kroger have their own recycling programs if you’d like to recycle your used shopping bags. Louisville also provides special recycling programs for recycling out of the ordinary items such as light bulbs, cooking oil, electronics, and batteries. Also, unfortunately styrofoam is not accepted for recycling pickup in Louisville, meaning throwing it away is the best course of action currently.

No fluids or hazardous materials are ever accepted for recycling pickup in Louisville. However, if you’re willing to put in a little extra effort, there are alternatives. Although potentially toxic materials like oil/lead based paint and old motor oil cannot be recycled normally, there are special facilities that accept them, like Louisville Metro’s hazardous materials disposal bin at 7501 Grade Lane. Always be extra careful when attempting to dispose of materials like these, since in the wrong places they could cause significant damage to the environment. 

What to do if you can’t recycle

Sometimes recycling just isn’t a reasonable waste management solution. Maybe you have too much waste to recycle, or maybe you are trying to dispose of materials that are not usually accepted for recycling like wood or old furniture. If this is the case, then Moon Mini Dumpsters might be what you need. Moon provides dumpsters of many sizes, from 6 to 40 cubic yards, to customers across Kentuckiana. Also, Moon Dumpsters is environmentally friendly, making every effort to recycle as much as possible, so you don’t need to feel guilty about throwing things away. If you live in Louisville or Lexington and are looking for waste management solutions, click here or call at (502) 772-2821  to learn more about Moon Companies!

Consider renting a Moon Mini Dumpster, no matter what size project you choose to undertake. Our driveway dumpsters come in 6, 9, 12, 16, 20, 30, and 40 cubic yard capacities. Affordable and lightweight, a dumpster will be delivered directly to you and placed on boards for surface protection. We are environmentally-friendly, locally-owned, and willing to work with any time frame. Give us a call at 502-772-2821 to learn more!

Eco-Friendly Remodeling

Remodeling your home can involve a lot of materials and waste. Fortunately, there are many ways you can ensure you are reducing the impact your remodel has on the environment. Here are some simple ways to do eco-friendly remodeling!

Green Materials: Paint, Roofing, Flooring, and More

The materials you use are one area where you can go a long way in reducing your impact. These days, since so many people are eco-conscious, it’s not difficult to find green solutions. Take paint, for example. Did you know that you can buy VOC-free paint? VOC (volatile organic compounds) are toxic and found in many traditional paints, and can leak into the environment. You can buy VOC-free paint to avoid this issue.

Paint isn’t the only material you use that probably has a green alternative. Everything from roofing and flooring to stains and caulks have green options on the market today. If you are willing to put in the work to find them, you can significantly improve how eco-friendly your remodel will be.

Water-Efficiency

If you’re re-doing a bathroom or kitchen, water is something else you should think about. Some faucets are more efficient than others. There are kinds of faucets that are low-flow, meaning they reduce the rate at which water flows. This is a helpful technique to lower how much water you use when doing everything from washing your hands, taking a shower, or doing the dishes. Consider low-flow faucets and showerheads to reduce how much water your household uses.

Energy-Efficiency for Eco-Friendly Remodeling

There are a couple of ways you can increase the energy efficiency of your home too. For starters, consider how you’re lighting the house. Any way you can utilize natural lighting through windows or glass doors will dramatically lower your electric usage. Additionally, if you do need light bulbs, go for LEDs as they are the most efficient type.

In the kitchen, you’ll want to think about the efficiency of your appliances. Your refrigerator, coffee maker, toaster, and dishwasher can all benefit from an efficiency analysis. Plus, your stove itself might need a second look. Today, there are many electric stoves that are extremely efficient, and better for the environment than gas stoves.
Look for Used Furniture

If you are looking to replace or add in some furniture, consider buying used or refurbished to cut down on your impact. There are a number of refurbished furniture stores and non-profits that can offer a great selection. You can even peruse a local yard sale and stumble across a hidden gem that you could reuse for your home. Avoiding a new piece of furniture will let you lower your carbon footprint even more.

Moon Dumpsters makes sure that waste disposal is as environmentally-friendly as possible, with efficient trucks and green disposal practices. To learn more about Moon’s full-service dumpster rentals and get the dumpsters you need, visit our website or call us at 502-772-2821 today!

What does not in my backyard mean?

Waste Disposal: Where Does Waste Go?

When you throw your garbage or yard waste into a dumpster, it can be easy to never think about it again. All of that has to go somewhere, though. But where? There are a few main places your waste is most likely to go, depending on what it is and the waste disposal practices and regulations where you live. Let’s take a look at the main places that waste goes.

Landfills: The Main Form of Waste Disposal in the United States

Landfills are simply disposal sites for waste. Landfill workers carefully contain and monitor waste and waste byproducts in landfills to avoid contaminating groundwater, soil, and the air. Eventually, when landfills are completely full, they shut down. You can think of them as a way to isolate waste from the surrounding environment. In the United States, landfills are where most waste goes.

Recycling Centers

Recycling centers help repurpose items like plastics, glass, paper products, and metals. These centers sort through recyclable items and then compact them into ‘bales’ that can be sent to mills where they are processed into new materials. What is recyclable for you depends on the infrastructure and policies in your area, so always check your local and state practices.

Recycling, while still much less common than landfilling, has become more widely adopted in the past several decades. In 2015, for instance, 67.77 million tons of waste were recycled in the United States, with to 137.7 million tons of waste going to landfills. Compare this to 25 years prior- in 1990, only 29.04 million tons were recycled, with 145.27 million tons being landfilled. Recycling is a preferable alternative to landfilling today, since it means reusing materials as opposed to trying to contain them in a landfill.

Composting

Composting is another of the main ways to deal with waste. Compost facilities use controlled aerobic decomposition to help turn organic waste into a nutrient-rich soil conditioner. Many food scraps and bits of yard waste are compostable. The end product of composting can help grow plants and food. Many people create their own compost, and some communities have composting centers or facilities where community members can drop off organic matter waste. Composting has the benefits of lowering carbon footprints, enriching soil, and reducing the need for chemical fertilizers.

Waste Combustion: A Declining Method of Waste Disposal

Combustion is another approach for disposing of waste. Municipal solid waste incinerator facilities burn waste at an extremely high temperature. They then use steam produced from incineration to create energy. However, this process has significant negative impacts on the environment and local communities. They increase pollution in their communities, most of which are lower-income communities of color in the United States. Support for this form of disposal in the US seems to be diminishing, particularly because the remaining facilities in the United States are aging and have old, inefficient technology. But in other parts of the world like Europe, combustion waste management is quickly becoming more accepted. These facilities also have better technology that is potentially safer for the environment and communities.

Moon Dumpsters  makes sure that waste disposal is as environmentally-friendly as possible, with efficient trucks and green disposal practices. To learn more about Moon’s full-service dumpster rentals and get the dumpsters you need, visit our website or call us at 502-772-2821 today!

cell phone recycling louisville ky

Cell Phone Recycling in Louisville SE Indiana

It is estimated that Americans get a new cell phone every 1-2 years. So what happens to the old phones? Hopefully, they get recycled! Below are some of the locations for recycling cell phones in Louisville and SE Indiana.

Written by Bob Jones

Save Money Stay Cool During Louisville Summer

louisville gas electric kentucky utilitiesEnergy saving ideas from Louisville Gas & Electric (LGE) and Kentucky Utilities (KU) can help residents save money and keep cool this summer. Here are some expert tips:

    • Repair insulation and sealing air leaks
    • Place air conditioning units in shade
    • Keep electronics away from thermostat
    • Use fan to spread AC air throughout house
    • Adjust your home’s thermostat up two degrees in the summer
    • Use curtains to block sun’s rays during the day

Written by Bob Jones

Riverside Gardens Homes May Be Exposed to Toxic Chemicals

Moon-leeslandfillThe Louisville Courier-Journal is reporting that the EPA will be testing Riverside Gardens homes for toxic chemicals. Dangerous vapors from the Lees Lane hazardous waste landfill may be seeping into nearby homes.

Protecting Louisville, KY Environment

The sampling, which will start in late June, comes more than 15 years after the EPA first found problems with a methane-gas collection system that is also supposed to safeguard the Riverside Gardens neighborhood from chemical gases migrating from decades of buried waste.

Monitoring wells installed by the EPA last year found that methane no longer was a problem, but gas levels of seven other toxic chemicals were high enough to warrant testing homes. Contaminants of concern include Benzene, 1,3-butadiene, Carbon tetrachloride, Chloroform, Tetrachlorethylene, Trichloroethylene and Vinyl chloride.

It may take up to two months for test results to be returned.If necessary, the EPA will install remediation equipment.

Written by Bob Jones

Indiana Recycling is Working!

IN recycling coalitionA study commissioned by the Indiana Department of Commerce (IDOC) as part of the National Recycling Coalition’s U.S. Recycling Economic Information (U.S. REI) Study shows that recycling in Indiana is working!

Recycling in Indiana

IN recycling study statsIndiana’s recycling/reuse industry boasts:

• 1,700 recycling and reuse establishments
• $3 billion in annual payroll
• $19 billion in annual revenues
• 75,000 people employed

The recycling industry contributes $285 million in state government tax revenues annually.

For more information about recycling in Indiana visit the Indiana Recycling Coalition.

Written by Bob Jones

Spreading the Word About Sustainable Waste Management

Google PlusAs a green company in Louisville, KY Moon Mini Dumpsters works hard to preserve our surrounding environment. We adopt business practices that will keep us, and the earth, sustaining for a long time. These include, but are not limited to, recycling waste and using fuel efficient vehicles. Our trucks are smaller and equipped with pollution reducing devices.

Sustainable Waste Management

Moon is not only concerned with conserving the environment and resources in Kentucky and southern Indiana. We understand that what happens here affects all those around us. This is why we share ideas and learn new practices from people everywhere. The Google + community Sustainable Waste Management allows us to do this. Made up of businesses and individuals committed to conservation and sustainability, SWM is a platform for people to interact and trade thoughts about the environment. We invite you to join today!

Written by Bob Jones

Rain Gardens Aid Louisville Waste Management

louisville msdWater has one consistent property that can cause problems. Water flows! This may seem pretty obvious, but many people may not realize the implications of this one property. Excessive water runoff can severely damage water sources. According to the Louisville Metropolitan Sewer District, rain gardens can aid waste management efforts.

How can a rain garden protect local waterways?

When there is excessive water runoff resulting from heavy rains and storms, this water absorbs chemicals, wastes, and toxic substances from the environment. When storm drains flood, this harmful water reaches local streams and waterways. Thus the local water, plant life and animals are all affected.

Rain gardens are designed to collect rainwater from the roof. Drainage lines are redirected from the normal channel into a nearby garden. The redirected flow is absorbed by plants and infiltrates into the ground. Water runoff from roofs diverted into Rain Gardens and Rain Barrels prevents storm water and pollutants from reaching storm drains, and eventually our streams and rivers.

What should I put in my rain garden?

Local plants work best!
Native plants are the foundation for all levels of life and increase the ecological value of all landscapes. Native plants have deep roots and once established, require little maintenance. They have the ability to withstand extremes in weather and long periods of drought.

Native plants in Kentucky

  • Trees/Shrubs: Silky Dogwood, Winterberry, Elderberry, Coralberry
  • Ferns: Lady Fern, Royal Fern, Cinnamon Fern, Christmas Fern
  • Wildflowers: Goldenrod (Kentucky’s State Flower), Wild Ginger, Jacob’s ladder, Butterfly Milkweed, Giant Sunflower, Southern Blazing Star

These are only a few of the many native plants to the Louisville area. A more complete list is available.

Written by Bob Jones