Home improvements
It is believed that the home DIY sector creates on average 25 times more waste than professional tradesmen. Much of the excess material incurred may be stored away and kept for future use. Occasionally when we move house or have a clear out, this surplus gets thrown away.
Waste that arises from construction, alteration or repairs to your home is classified as construction waste and there is a charge for its disposal. This includes any waste generated from hard landscaping or garden alterations such as dismantling a rockery.
The following are considered to be construction wastes:
- Rubble and hardcore
- Earth, soils including turfs
- Bathroom suites i.e. baths, sinks and toilets
- Fitted kitchen cupboards and work surfaces
- Garden sheds
- Fence panels and posts
- Internal and external doors
- Radiators
- Garden stone, paving and ornamental
If you have construction waste you will need to go to one of the four Waste Transfer Stations and have your vehicle weighed. You will be charged according to that weight.
To assist the public with small amounts of this type of waste, Surrey County Council has adopted a policy that allows householders to bring construction waste in their car free of charge.
The four Waste Transfer Stations that you will be directed to are:
If you are planning substantial home alterations always ensure that your builder has arranged a skip to remove this type of rubbish. If they leave it behind you will have to pay for its disposal.
Return to top of page
Plasterboard and gypsum based materials
Plasterboard and gypsum based products can no longer be landfillled. If you have this type of material please take it to one of the following Community Recycling Centres, where there are special containers for their separate collection and safe disposal.
Return to top of page
Asbestos in the home
Today no building materials are allowed to contain asbestos material. However, if your property was built before the mid 80s, it is possible that it contains asbestos materials in some form.
People are at risk from asbestos containing material if it is in poor condition, gets damaged or is disturbed so that fibres are released in any way. If you carry out DIY on asbestos products, you may be putting yourself in danger.
You cannot determine whether a material contains asbestos by visual inspection. If in doubt leave well alone and seek expert advice (companies specialising in asbestos surveying, sampling, monitoring and removal are listed in the telephone directory).
None of the 12 councils in Surrey offer an asbestos removal or collection service.
Where was asbestos used?
Asbestos was used in building materials principally to provide cheap thermal insulation and fire protection. It was also used as a filler material in a wide range of building products. Asbestos was used in all sorts of materials. The following list is not complete and should only be used as a guide:
- Asbestos lagging;
- Loose asbestos filling;
- Sprayed asbestos as used for protecting structural steelwork and for insulation. It may be found in steel framed houses built before the mid-1970s;
- Asbestos insulating board used for fire protection, heat insulation, ceiling tiles and as a building board;
- Some floor tiles;
- Various asbestos cement products
If your home is rented, your landlord is responsible for asbestos and may have relevant information.
What to do if you suspect you have asbestos in your home
- The general rule is to always leave asbestos alone, it’s usually safe unless it’s damaged or disturbed;
- Paint indoor materials with an alkali resistant paint such as PVA emulsion, and never sand, drill or saw asbestos materials;
- Always seek advice before thinking of removing asbestos. Do not attempt to remove asbestos lagging, spray coatings or insulation board by yourself as these materials can only be safely removed by a specialist contractor who is licensed to remove asbestos;
- Sometimes it will be necessary to pay for a sample to be taken to identify if asbestos is present and of what type.
Asbestos cement
Compressed asbestos cement was used in various products such as garage and shed roofs and wall coverings; cold water tanks, external rainwater pipes, roof slates, guttering, decking, lining under eaves and flue pipes. It was also used in drainage pipes and wall and roof covering materials. These products normally contain between 10% and 15% asbestos.
Safe Removal of asbestos cement
A specialist contractor should be engaged where significant amounts of asbestos cement products are to be removed. Small amounts can be removed on a DIY basis but if you are concerned at all about its safe removal you should contact a specialist removal company to carry out the work. You can find such companies in your local Yellow Pages. In order to be compliant with
'Household Waste - Duty of Care Regulations 2005' when employing a suitable contractor/builder you must ensure that the company is registered with the
Environment Agency (EA) as a waste carrier. You can check the validity of this registration by searching through the
EA's Public Registers.
If you wish to remove asbestos cement yourself we offer the following advice:
- Don't unless you have to;
- Prepare the work area - remove any unnecessary items, cover the floor and surfaces with disposable polythene sheeting;
- Keep other people away and don't eat, drink or smoke in the work area;
- Wear protective clothing:
- disposable overall with hood (wear legs over footwear)
- disposable facemask approved for use with asbestos (follow user instructions carefully)
- rubber or disposable gloves
- footwear that can be easily cleaned e.g. Wellingtons
- Damp down the material by using a plant sprayer or a hosepipe with a fine spray - don't soak the area, as this will make cleaning up more difficult;
- Remove the asbestos carefully without breaking it up, wrap in strong polythene sheeting or bags as you go (don't let it pile up) and seal with tape;
- Visually inspect the area and clear up any debris by hand - wipe down with disposable damp cloths (don't re-soak or reuse cloths). Never use a vacuum cleaner as this will just spread dust around;
- Place contaminated cloths, polythene sheeting and protective clothing in a strong polythene bag while they are still damp and seal the bag with tape. Dispose of these as asbestos waste;
- Wash thoroughly after the job is completed, especially the hands and face.
Disposal of Asbestos Cement waste
If you have asbestos cement material and need to dispose of it you may take up to six sheets to one of three designated Community Recycling Centres, where you can dispose of them free of charge. You should ring the Community Recycling Centre before loading your vehicle to ensure that there is going to be enough space in the special container for your load when you get there. These centres are:
What we will accept:
- Corrugated or flat sheets
- Cold water tanks
- Rainwater pipes and gutters
- Flue pipes
- Roofing tiles
- Floor tiles
We can
only accept asbestos cement materials, such as those listed above. Any other form of asbestos must be dealt with by a specialist company.
If as a householder, you intend to transport asbestos cement waste in your own vehicle, you do not need to be a registered waste carrier providing it is your own waste. However, you should take the following steps to ensure that asbestos does not contaminate your car:
- Spray the asbestos cement with water;
- Double wrap or double bag the asbestos cement with heavy duty polythene;
- Ensure the wrapping is secured with tape;
- Make sure vehicle occupants do not have access to the asbestos waste.
On arrival at the community recycling centre make sure the wrapping is still securely in place. Inform a member of staff that you are bringing asbestos. They will direct you to where you must deposit it.
Remember that you do have a legal responsibility to dispose of asbestos safely. The Environment Agency can and does prosecute fly tippers of asbestos materials.
Asbestos Do's and Don'ts
- Don't panic if you think you have asbestos in your home - it's usually only a problem if disturbed;
- Do treat asbestos with respect;
- Don't drill, saw or disturb materials that contain asbestos;
- Do seek advice if you think you've got a problem with asbestos in your home.
Return to top of page
Scrap metal
Scrap metals have value and should be recycled. Steel and aluminium are the world's most recyclable and recycled materials. If you accumulate copper (just had the central heating redone?) or aluminium or cast iron (just had the old gutters or the back boiler replaced?) why not take it to your scrap metal dealer and get money for it.
Most metals found in the household waste stream are separated, refined and reused for hardware. In 2005, around 50% of all steel packaging was recycled. All steel cans contain up to 25% recycled steel. Any other metals that you have can be taken to the Community Recycling Centres where they will be recycled.
By recycling as much steel packaging as possible, you can:
- Keep steel in the 'recycling loop' and save it from going into landfill sites.
- Help the UK to reach its target of recycling 54% of steel packaging by 2008.
- Help protect the earth's natural resources.
- Help preserve the environment
Every tonne of recycled steel packaging makes the following environmental savings:
- 1.5 tonnes of iron ore
- 0.5 tonnes of coal
- 40% of the water required in production
- 75% of the energy needed to make steel from virgin material
- 1.28 tonnes of solid waste
- Reduction of air emissions by 86%
- Reduction of CO2 emissions by 80%
- Reduction of water by 76%
For more information visit
Corus.
Return to top of page
Cardboard
Many local councils provide containers for cardboard at the recycling bank sites or you will find cardboard containers at most of the
Community Recycling Centres. Cardboard may have its own bank or may be mixed with certain kinds of paper. Follow the instruction given on the bank itself to see if cardboard can be included. Flatten cardboard boxes first to save space. If cardboard recycling containers aren't provided near you, you may be able to drop off clean boxes at supermarkets or at other high volume businesses. Remember to ask permission from the manager first.
Return to top of page
Glass panes
Panes of glass should not be put in the usual glass recycling containers provided by local councils. It has a different composition from bottle glass and needs to be collected separately. You can take pane glass to the
Community Recycling Centres and put it in the general waste skip. This glass is not recycled at this time as volumes are not high enough. Remember that window frames in large amounts will be considered construction waste. You may be redirected to a waste transfer station.
If you have large quantities of unwanted pane glass after replacing your windows then you might want to hire a skip.
Return to top of page
Other DIY items or machinery
If you have any of the following in good condition you can arrange a collection from AB Electrical.
- Heavy machinery
- Power tools
- Sinks - not cracked
- Generators
- Bathroom suites - not cracked
- Factory machinery
These will go for reuse in Africa.
AB Electrical can be contacted on 07813 441482
Return to top of page
Buying salvaged materials
Buying architectural salvage is an excellent way to reuse items and bring character to your home. Surrey has several businesses that supply salvaged material. None of these businesses will buy material from the general public.
You can buy salvaged materials from:
- Antique Buildings Ltd
Dunsfold, near Godalming, Surrey GU8 4NP
Tel: 01483 200477
- Comley Lumber Centre
70 Wrecclesham Hill, Farnham, Surrey GU10 9JX
Tel: 01252 716882
- Chancellors Church Furnishings
Rivernook Farm, Sunnyside, Walton on Thames, Surrey KT12 2ET
Tel: 01932 252736 - Fax: 01923 252736
- Drummonds Architectural Antiques
The Kirkpatrick Buildings, 25 London Road (A3), Hindhead, Surrey GU26 6AB
Tel: 01428 609444
- Smith's Architectural Salvage
Reigate Road, Ewell, Epsom, Surrey KT17 3BZ
Tel: 020 8393 4139
All of these organisations are members of
Salvo, an independent group of businesses that have agreed to abide by a sustainable code of practice. If you have something to sell or buy, try the 'Wants and Offers' section of their web site.
