Asbestos waste is handled separately from ordinary construction waste: it is moistened, tightly wrapped in plastic sheeting, labelled as asbestos waste and handed in at a collection point that accepts asbestos. The price is set by the collection point in your area. First, though, it is worth finding out in a laboratory whether the material contains asbestos at all – if it does not, it is ordinary construction waste.
What is asbestos waste and why is it handled separately?
Asbestos waste is removed material that contains asbestos. Typical examples are asbestos cement sheets, old pipe insulation, tile adhesive, filler and vinyl floor coverings with floor adhesive. Under EU waste law, asbestos waste is hazardous waste and must not be mixed with other construction waste, mixed waste or household rubbish.
The reason is simple: when a material containing asbestos breaks, fibres can come loose and get into the air you breathe. Separate packing and handling ensure that no dust is created during loading, transport and acceptance, and that the waste ends up where people know how to deal with it.
How is asbestos waste packed?
The aim of packing is that no dust escapes from the material at any point. The general principles are as follows:
- Moisten: lightly wet the material before handling and packing it so that the fibres stay bound.
- Tight sheeting: pack the waste in double, thick plastic sheeting or in sealed waste sacks and tape the seams. Sheets should be packed whole, without sawing or breaking them.
- Labelling: clearly label each package, for example with the text "Asbestos waste – do not inhale dust".
- Careful handling: do not throw or drop the packages, so that the sheeting does not tear.
The collection point may have its own requirements, for example on the size or material of the packaging, so check these before you start.
Where do you hand in asbestos waste?
Asbestos waste is handed in at a hazardous waste collection point that accepts asbestos, for example a municipal recycling centre or a waste treatment facility in your area. Not every recycling centre accepts asbestos, and in many places you have to register or book an appointment in advance. The rules for hazardous waste are set nationally and locally, so follow your municipality's and your country's rules. Contact your municipality or local waste service and ask:
- which collection point accepts asbestos waste,
- whether you need an appointment or have to register in advance,
- how the waste must be packed and labelled,
- whether there are special instructions for small quantities from private households.
In larger renovations, asbestos waste is often collected in a dedicated skip whose contents are taken to a facility that accepts asbestos. More about skips for asbestos waste.
What does asbestos disposal cost?
The price depends on the collection point's price list, the amount of waste and whether you deliver the waste yourself or use a skip or transport service. Prices vary from place to place, so you can only get an exact price from the collection point in your area. At the very least, ask whether charges are by weight or by load size, whether there is a minimum charge for small quantities and whether transport is included if you do not bring the waste yourself.
Because separate disposal of asbestos waste usually costs more than ordinary construction waste, uncertainty can be expensive. If asbestos-free material is treated as asbestos waste to be on the safe side, you pay unnecessarily for separate disposal. If, on the other hand, material containing asbestos is handed in as ordinary waste, you break the rules and expose others to the dust.
Disposing of asbestos cement sheets – what should you watch out for?
Asbestos cement sheets were used, for example, on facades, on roofs and as wall boards indoors. An intact sheet is hard and dense, but when it is sawn, drilled or broken, dust is produced. When disposing of asbestos cement sheets, the most important thing is therefore to remove the sheets as undamaged as possible, moisten them and wrap them tightly in plastic sheeting.
Not every old fibre cement sheet contains asbestos, however. The age and appearance of the sheet do not reliably decide this, so it is worth having a sample analysed before the sheets are removed.
When should a specialist contractor do the demolition?
The occupational safety rules for asbestos apply to demolishing materials that contain asbestos. Larger quantities and the actual demolition work should be carried out by a contractor specialising in asbestos removal. The contractor takes care of enclosure, negative pressure, protective measures and the necessary formalities, and usually also packs the waste and transports it to the collection point. You will find more information on the page Asbestos removal.
If a contractor does the demolition, the transport and handover of the hazardous waste must be documented. Ask the contractor for details of where the waste was handed in, and keep them together with the other renovation documents.
Test first: is the material asbestos at all?
Asbestos cannot be identified with the naked eye. An old sheet, adhesive or filler may contain asbestos or be completely free of it, and appearance does not show the difference. That is why a laboratory analysis is the wisest first step before demolition and disposal.
- Negative result: the material does not contain asbestos and is disposed of as ordinary construction waste in line with your municipality's rules.
- Positive result: you know that demolition and disposal must follow the rules for asbestos.
The result applies to the material tested. If several different materials or layers are to be removed, it is worth taking a separate sample of each. Take the sample following the sampling instructions and also read how to protect yourself when taking a sample.
How Semlab helps you
Semlab is a laboratory in Espoo, Finland, specialising in asbestos analysis. We do not demolish or dispose of waste; we examine material samples with a JEOL SEM-EDS electron microscope. The analysis costs €49.99 incl. VAT per sample, and the same price applies to all orders of 1–100 samples; for projects with more than 100 samples the price is negotiable. You receive the result by email in English, usually on the same day the sample arrives at the laboratory. Postage is not included in the price.
Once you know the result, you also know whether the waste needs to be disposed of separately at all. You can order the analysis online, pay by card and send the sample as a letter or small parcel with your national postal service.