From November 1st, 2015 the Government's EPA have decided that all fibro is asbestos unless proven otherwise. This means that you cannot put fibro in a regular bin, or we will both be fined. Please see the guide below for what you should do to dispose of fibro now. Thank you, Matt.
GUIDE TO TELL IF IT IS FIBRO OR ASBESTOS
The EPA now require that all fibro is treated as though it has asbestos in it, unless you can prove otherwise. To prove otherwise you need to do one of 2 things:
- Have your fibro assessed by an independent assessor; or
- Check the back of the sheet. Look for a green stamp that says "asbestos free".
Otherwise you will need to treat the fibro as though it contains asbestos. This means wrapping each sheet or piece in 2 layers of plastic and sealing it, then order an asbestos bin from us for removal. You cannot put double wrapped fibro/asbestos into a general bin, the plastic may puncture and the bin will have to be charged as though it was all asbestos. There is also a Government fine for that. Please note this is not our rules and all legal Skp Bin companies must comply. if you get someone who does accept fibro unwrapped it is probably best to report them to the Council as they are dumping their bins in the bush to avoid high dumping fees and fines.
They used to make "Fibrolite" asbestos sheeting.Villaboard was originally a Wunderlich asbestos product and in 1981 Hardies started production of the cellulose version of Villaboard. Wunderlich had a dimpled backed. If it is 6mm thick and breaks softly, it is cellulose not asbestos. Here is a photo of Asbestos Fibrolite, note the dimpled back:
About Asbestos
Asbestos was a widely used building fibre for about a century before it was phased out between 1984 and 1990. Note however asbestos was not actually banned until 2004. Asbestos fibres are known to cause Asbestosis, a chronic lung disease that can lead to respiratory impairment, Mesothelioma and Lung cancer.
You will probably be surprised to see the photos above, all of these common household building products contain asbestos. Common asbestos building products include:
- Corrugated roofing;
- Exterior and interior corners and joiners;
- Fibro;
- Wall cladding;
- Vinyl floor tiles;
- Bathroom waterproof panels.
The first thing you should do if you suspect you have asbestos is to check out the guides available from the Asbestos Diseases Foundation of Australia here.
The next thing to do is to NOT PUT ASBESTOS IN YOUR SKIP BIN. It is against the law to throw out asbestos, or any of the products you can see on this page. We have a dedicated Asbestos bin available.
If you are renovating a home built before 1987 then the chances are very high that you have asbestos in your home. Now if you have more than 10sqm of material containing asbestos then you should use an accredited asbestos removal service. If you choose to do this yourself you must familiarise yourself with the legislation. Here is some useful information to get you started, and there is more detailed information at the links below. Please pay special attention to the issue of double-wrapping all asbestos pieces.
The correct way to dispose of it is to:
- Wear full protective clothing, and ensure young children are safely off-site;
- DOUBLE Wrap each piece of asbestos material in plastic (which we can provide you with at cost);
- Order an Asbestos Bin of the appropriate size;
- Place each item into the bin carefully to avoid damaging the plastic.
Double Wrap: We can be fined for accepting asbestos that is not wrapped correctly, so in requiring these standards we are not being difficult, its the law. The legislation requires that the asbestos be double wrapped. That simply means wrap it once and when finished wrap it again.
If you have any doubt about the material you are finding in your renovation, our staff are trained in the identification of common asbestos products, and can also direct you as to who else to speak to or where to send a sample for testing, so give us a call.
