Asbestos waste

Asbestos materials can be highly dangerous, even fatal, under certain circumstances. If the materials become broken or damaged asbestos fibres can get into the air and be inhaled.

Asbestos in your home

If you discover asbestos in your home it's best to seek advice immediately. ARCA (Asbestos Removal Contractors Association) can help you find an authorised contractor to remove it.

Do not place asbestos waste into dustbins, it will not be collected and must be disposed at a site licensed to accept it (details below). You cannot dispose of asbestos waste at Townmead Road Re-use and Recycling Site.

Collection service

The City of London operates a Household Hazardous Waste Collection and Disposal Service on our behalf. Residents are able to arrange the collection of cement bonded asbestos providing each piece is individually wrapped or bagged in heavy duty polythene (1000 gauge) and sealed with strong tape. If the packaging is punctured or split the item will not be collected. The City of London are not able to dismantle or wrap asbestos for you - this must be done prior to collection. 

• Get further details of this service including advice on how to bag the material safely

This service can collect small quantities of bagged fibrous asbestos but we advise residents against this due to the additional handling risks involved.

Residents are entitled to one asbestos collection per year. You may be required to pay towards a collection, depending on the quantity to be disposed of.

To arrange a collection, book directly with the Corporation of London:

• Online: Book a hazardous waste collection
• By telephone: 020 7332 3433

Bring site

You cannot dispose of asbestos waste at Townmead Road Re-use and Recycling Site. However, residents can make an appointment with West London Waste to dispose of cement bonded asbestos at their Household Waste and Recycling Centre in Abbey Road, London, NW10 7TJ. Make an appointment by calling 020 8965 5497 or get further details.

You must:

• Keep any sheets in one piece
• Double wrap and seal the waste in building sacks
• Report to the weighbridge upon arrival
• Take a Council Tax Bill and your Driving Licence with you

If you fail to comply with these requirements, entry may be denied. There will be a charge involved. This would depend on the quantity you are disposing of.

Through a commercial operator

If you employ a commercial operator to remove and dispose of your asbestos waste, they must be a licensed carrier and the waste must be disposed of at an approved site. As a householder you have a duty of care to obtain a waste transfer note from the operator in accordance with The Hazardous Waste (England and Wales) Regulations 2005. This document must show the name and address of the operator, the operators licence number and vehicle registration, your address and that of the final disposal site.

Reporting fly tipped asbestos

If you suspect that asbestos has been fly-tipped on the street or in a public place please do not touch the waste and report it to us as soon as possible for inspection:

Contact Street Scene Enforcement

• Email: streetsceneenforcement@richmond.gov.uk
• Telephone: 020 8891 1411

Asbestos as commercial waste

Small quantities of cement asbestos produced, or removed by, a tradesman can be disposed of (for a charge) at the West London Waste Site.