Asbestos
The Lismore Recycling & Recovery Centre is licensed to accept commercial and household quantities of asbestos waste.
Asbestos was used in over 3000 building products before it was banned in Australia. If your home was built or renovated before 1990, it likely contains asbestos. However, it is almost impossible to tell if a material contains asbestos just by looking at it.
Identifying asbestos
Asbestos was used in over 3000 building products before it was banned in Australia. If your home was built or renovated before 1990, it likely contains asbestos. However, it is almost impossible to tell if a material contains asbestos just by looking at it.
As part of a program with North East Waste aimed at reducing the unsafe removal of asbestos by home renovators, our community has access to a free Household Asbestos Testing (HAT) Kit. The HAT kits can be picked up from Lismore Recycling & Recovery Centre or the Corporate Centre in Goonellabah.
Removing asbestos
It is not recommended that you handle or remove asbestos yourself. It is easier, safer and often cheaper to get a licensed asbestos professional to do the job for you.
If you have tested and identified only small areas of asbestos, Council does offer a subsidised Household Asbestos Disposal (HAD) Kit for $30 for removal of up to 10m2 of bonded asbestos (approx. 2-3 sheets of fibro). This cost does not include the fee for disposal of the asbestos waste. The HAD kits can be purchased from Lismore Recycling & Recovery Centre or the Corporate Centre in Goonellabah.
If you are removing more than 10m2 of asbestos or any quantity of friable (non-bonded) asbestos containing material, then you are required by law to employ a licensed asbestos removalist.
Disposing of asbestos
The Lismore Recycling & Recovery Centre is licensed to accept commercial and household quantities of asbestos waste, the fees for which are outlined in our fees and charges.
There are specific requirements for its disposal:
- Ensure asbestos waste has been wetted, double-wrapped in 200um (0.2mm) thick plastic and sealed with tape before it is transported to the asbestos skip bins
- Ensure clear labelling as “asbestos waste”
- For larger (commercial) asbestos loads that cannot be manually placed into a skip bin, Hazibags should be used to crane the asbestos directly into a skip bin.
- No tippers will be accepted to receive asbestos
Failure to comply with the above asbestos acceptance criteria will result in refusal of service. Council prioritises staff safety and wellbeing and has deemed these requirements necessary to ensure asbestos handling and disposal practices onsite can be undertaken safely.
It is illegal to dispose of asbestos waste in ANY residential or commercial bins. It is also illegal to recycle, re-use, or illegally dump asbestos products and you will be fined heavily if you are caught. Should you require any further information or clarification, please do not hesitate to contact Council on (02) 6625 0500.