How is asbestos safely disposed of?
Asbestos is a dangerous material if it’s let out into the atmosphere. However, the aim is to dispose of materials that likely have, or are confirmed to have, asbestos in it to ensure particles aren’t at risk of being ingested or inhaled. With that, the removal of asbestos is a delicate job that needs expert handling (both for safety and to adhere to legal requirements) and safety at the forefront of the process, and the disposal component is not different. Here is how to safely and legally dispose of up to 10m2 of asbestos if you have it at a property you live at, work in or work on.
Contact local council
Your local landfill or council will be able to tell you if they accept household asbestos, and advise on requirements for delivering and disposing of it. By contacting them, you can get a greater understanding of the scope of work required to remove and dispose of asbestos. Even if you go with a professional, you are held personally responsible for the safe and legal disposal of asbestos. It’s in your best interest to understand the requirements and the regulations, and ensure who you’ve hired is doing what they’re supposed to be doing.
Do your research for professional disposal
Due to the high health risk and the risk of ending up with a hefty fee (that can be in thousands), we can’t emphasise enough that the best and safest way to dispose of asbestos is to get people highly skilled in the area to do it for you. However, not all professional asbestos removers are made equal and it’s important to do your research.
The best way to do that is to ensure you have:
- Asked around. If your home or commercial property is surrounded by other buildings of the same era, and you all sit within the time of likely asbestos use (typically 1950-1990) then your neighbours will have likely used asbestos removal. Ask about their experiences and any hurdles and positives they had. (Particularly around safety, and any issues with regulation breaches).
- Checked the credentials of the professional removal and disposal company, and ask them questions regarding their processes.
- Not attempted to remove yourself based on YouTube guidance. If you have experienced and are licensed to remove and dispose of asbestos, sure. But it’s safer for everyone to not have this as a DIY project.
How is asbestos disposed of?
Asbestos can only be disposed of at a landfill site that is approved and licensed to take it. At Ryno’s we scope the project thoroughly and understand the type of asbestos we’re dealing with. We then isolate the area and carefully and systematically remove the asbestos affected materials from the site. We wrap the asbestos in certified plastic and take it to a licensed landfill. We do not create our own dumping areas (which can be extremely hazardous), and have a strict regulatory process we adhere to.
If you need the safe disposal of asbestos, call us for our service and any other questions you might have before deciding on how to remove and get rid of the asbestos in your residential or commercial building.
