Asbestos waste is hazardous waste, and hazardous waste travels on paperwork. It is double wrapped, labelled, carried by a registered waste carrier and delivered to a site licensed to accept it, and the consignment note is the evidence that what left the building arrived somewhere legal. On a small job the disposal can be a large share of the price, which is why it belongs on the quote as its own line.
How the waste is handled
Material is double bagged or wrapped, with the inner layer usually red and the outer clear, and labelled as asbestos waste. It does not go in a builder's skip, it does not go in the household bin, and it does not travel in the back of an unregistered van. The carrier has to be registered and the receiving site has to be permitted to take it.
The consignment note
Hazardous waste moves on a consignment note that names the producer, the carrier and the site, and copies are kept by each of them. It is the document that proves the waste was dealt with, and it is the one most often missing from a cheap job. Ask for your copy when the work finishes rather than a year later.
What disposal costs
Disposal is charged by weight or by container, so a garage roof of dense cement sheet costs more to dispose of than a small volume of tiles even though the job looks smaller. Asbestos skip hire is priced differently from an ordinary skip for the same reason, and a skip left on site is a different price from a same day collection.
Taking it yourself
Some local authority household waste sites accept small quantities of household asbestos, usually by prior arrangement, in a specified wrapping and with a limit on how much. Many accept none at all. Check with your own council before planning around it, and never move material that is broken or unwrapped.
Questions people ask about asbestos disposal
Can I put asbestos in a skip?
Not in an ordinary skip. Asbestos waste needs a separate, sealed asbestos skip or bagged collection, and it has to be consigned as hazardous waste.
How is asbestos disposed of?
It is wrapped and labelled, carried by a registered carrier under a consignment note, and buried at a landfill site permitted to accept it. It is not incinerated or recycled.
Who is responsible for the waste?
The producer of the waste, which is usually the property owner or the contractor working for them, carries the duty of care for it until it reaches a permitted site.