There is plenty of information available that lets people know why they shouldn’t handle asbestos themselves, and what can happen when they do.

Most New Zealanders, therefore, understand that if they have to undertake asbestos removal in their home, that they should call in trained and qualified asbestos removal experts, and leave the job in the capable hands of those who know what they are doing.

But, once that asbestos is removed, and the threat is gone from your home or business, what happens to it? Who takes care of it, and is it disposed of safely? Below, you can learn not only about the processes and procedures of disposing of asbestos but how it may be taken care of in the future, as well.

How to Prepare Asbestos for Disposal in New Zealand

It’s not enough to just know where to dispose of asbestos in New Zealand, but it’s crucial to understand how to dispose of it in those areas, as well. You can’t just dump a trailer of brittle building materials into a hole in the ground and part ways with it. Containment is key.

Crumbly, dusty, friable, and non-friable asbestos materials must all be contained to minimise fibre exposure. WorkSafe recommends that any friable pieces of asbestos should also be placed in heavy-duty polythene bags with a minimum thickness of 200 µm, and at a maximum size of 900mm wide by 1,200mm long.

These bags must also have gooseneck ties to seal them, and wetting should be carried out before sealing the bag to minimise dust. The bags should be, at a maximum, half full, and excess air should be squeezed out of them. A label should then be placed on them that says:

CAUTION: ASBESTOS – Do not open or damage bag. Do not inhale dust.

All bag surfaces should be cleaned and double-bagged, and the work area for packaging must then be decontaminated. 

Asbestos removal experts who work with asbestos-lagged pipes or large materials that shouldn’t be broken down must wrap them in heavy-duty 200 µm polythene sheeting, labelled, bundled, and wrapped in tape.

Drums of asbestos materials, on the other hand, must be lined with 200 µm polythene, sprayed with water, and have their rims sealed before wiping the exterior.

Where to Dispose of Asbestos

Where you can dispose of asbestos in New Zealand can depend on where you live. Talk to your local council about rubbish dumps that accept asbestos waste and comply with the Resource Management Act. The earlier you do this, the more you’re prepared for quick and precise disposal of asbestos.

WorkSafe outlines that all asbestos must be disposed of “at a local or territorial authority landfill authorised under the Resource Management Act 1991 to accept asbestos waste”.

In Auckland, there are dozens of different consented landfill sites for clean fill and managed fill, but few of these will accept asbestos. Contact the Silverdale Transfer Station, Waitakere Refuse and Recycling Centre, Waiheke Island Transfer Station, and Great Barrier Island Claris Landfill for information on all flammable, toxic, explosive, corrosive, and radioactive waste.

In Wellington, a form must be filled out for the disposal of special substances. While in Hamilton and around the Waikato, those looking to get rid of hazardous materials are asked to contact the Huntly Transfer Station for more information.

What About Disposing of Asbestos in the Future?

For now, several transfer stations and landfill sites throughout New Zealand accept asbestos materials and abide by the Resource Management Act 1991. However, having somewhere to dispose of it doesn’t solve the problem of it being an extremely hazardous fibrous mineral with cancer-causing properties.

Therefore, room exists for research to work out how to remove those cancer-causing elements to make sure that any asbestos materials in contaminated land can be made safe once more.

Leading the way in this research is Unitec, who has launched an environmental research centre with what is being called a “ground-breaking” asbestos project. 

The project focuses on protecting people and living species from asbestos dangers and how to examine asbestos-contaminated waste treatment. The environmental team involved will look at the effectiveness of fungi and other natural microorganisms to degrade asbestos fibres and remove their cancer-causing elements.

Licensed asbestos removalist company Chemcare was the first private sector company to partner on the project, and the Ministry for the Environment’s Waste Minimisation Fund contributed a $394,000 grant.

According to Chemcare’s managing director, David Serville, the research will have global significance.

 “Every nation is starting to address how it can remove and safely dispose of asbestos materials. Unitec’s research has the potential to clean vast areas of contaminated ground by natural means, and we understand how significant this work is for the world.”

Have Your Asbestos Removal and Disposal Taken Care Of

Any home or business owner who has been thinking about undertaking renovations or repairs of a property with asbestos should get in touch with a removalist as soon as possible. Let the experts take care of not only the removal process but the safe disposal of it, too.