Question 1

Learn more about Asbestos Removal in North London

Accepted Answer

North London generates over 2 million tonnes of construction waste from commercial and domestic properties alike – a considerable amount of this may contain asbestos meaning asbestos removal services in the area are in demand..
Asbestos is the collective term for a group of six naturally occurring silica minerals. Although these minerals occur naturally in our environment, asbestos is one of the most hazardous waste types there is. In the past, asbestos was primarily used for insulation during building projects due to its natural properties that include fire, water and chemical resistance. Nowadays, we know that asbestos can cause serious lung diseases when loose fibres from the material are released into the air and inhaled.

Asbestos has been banned in the UK since 1999. Many commercial and domestic properties built prior to that may still pose a risk when construction work or refurbishing is being done, as building material containing asbestos could be disturbed, causing fibres to be released

Due to the extreme health risks that it causes, this type of waste needs to be handled carefully and can not be treated like general waste or recycling.
There are a variety of contractors available in North London who specialise in professional and safe asbestos removal, but you must ensure that they are suitably trained and licensed to carry out the services you need for any commercial or domestic building.

North London boroughs have reuse and recycling centres available who will be able to accept a small amount of cement asbestos from households. Be sure to check your area’s local council website as most reuse and recycling centres require you to book a slot for waste disposal before arrival and you must also provide a proof of address and a photo identification to obtain access. Consult your local borough’s website for more information on whether these centres take household asbestos. Always call ahead to ensure that the staff are aware of any hazardous materials that you plan to drop off.

The City of London also operates an asbestos removal service for cement in North London, but the asbestos must be double-bagged or properly wrapped up first, meaning that you will have to pay additional costs on top of a disposal fee. They also only collect asbestos from residential buildings and not commercial buildings or schools. There may be some delays in booking an appointment as they are a very in-demand service.

Wayst provides a complete service for asbestos removal from both residential, commercial properties and construction sites. We will ensure that the asbestos is safely removed from the premises, secure the asbestos by wrapping it and using the correct health and safety protocols and equipment to minimise any risk to other people and the environment.

Need help with asbestos removal in North London? Get in touch.

Question 2

How dangerous is asbestos?

Accepted Answer

Asbestos poses little to no risk when the microscopic fibres are not disturbed through drilling and breaking. If it is whole and has not been damaged, it can be sprayed with an adhesive to prevent any fraying and then should be left where it is.

Asbestos can be found in many areas of a building, including in shed and garage roofs, decorative finishes and in drain and gutter pipes. For many construction workers, plumbers, electricians and painters, asbestos poses a higher health risk as the building material is knocked down and the small fibres are released into the air. These workers are exposed to the fibres for prolonged periods of time, increasing their risk of asbestos-related diseases, which may only start showing symptoms after 30 years.

Question 3

How to check for asbestos

Accepted Answer

While it is likely that asbestos may be present in older homes and buildings, you can not be certain unless you have the property surveyed and sampled by a skilled asbestos surveyor.

There are ways to potentially spot asbestos in your house – you will be able to find it in roof tiles, pipe lagging, thermal insulation and decorative finishing for roofs and walls, especially if the house was built prior to 1999. Despite this information, a BBC survey states that 45% of homeowners would not know how to identify asbestos in their home if they found it and therefore testing for the substance yourself can be extremely risky. Please contact us for advice on asbestos testing prior to any form of asbestos removal.

Your local borough council will be able to provide more information on identifying asbestos in your house. While the asbestos poses little to no threat if left untampered, you should not try to move it or handle it. A surveyor will be able to quantify the asbestos risk in your home or building and advise you on the next steps to take.

At Wayst, we offer advice on how to find a reputable, licensed asbestos surveyor to check the substance in your home that you are concerned about.

Question 4

How asbestos is removed

Accepted Answer

As a homeowner or tenant, you are technically permitted to remove small amounts of asbestos from your property, however, we strongly advise against this and instead encourage you to contact us at Wayst for advice on the removal and testing of asbestos. A trained and licensed asbestos removal contractor is strongly recommended.

The Health and Safety Executive (HSE) offers guidance on asbestos removal for further information. You must ensure that any private company that removes asbestos is licensed and has a permit for the disposal of hazardous materials. If asbestos falls into the wrong hands it can be recklessly disposed of, possibly ending up in a water supply where it can still cause the same illnesses as when it is airborne.

A licensed asbestos removal contractor will also ensure that the correct protocols are followed, and that asbestos is double-bagged and placed in a lockable container to eliminate risk of exposure.

Question 5

How much does it cost to remove asbestos?

Accepted Answer

The removal of asbestos varies in cost and this depends on the quantity and type of building material you wish to remove. The removal of asbestos can be costly, however, this is due to the risk that it poses to employees who are handling it.

These are single general examples of asbestos removal projects, and their costs:

- Removing guttering and rainwater pipes from bungalow: £1000+VAT
- Removing garage roofing, including side panels: from £750-£1800+VAT
- Removing 18 metres of asbestos guttering and 8 metres of rainwater pipes: around £950+VAT
- Removing an Artex ceiling in two rooms: £1950+VAT

Question 6

What you need to know about North London

Accepted Answer

North London generally refers to the area roughly in the centre of the city map and to the north of the River Thames, and is made up of the boroughs of Barnet Camden Hackney Haringey Enfield Islington and Waltham Forest. North London is well known for its residential suburbs of wide tree lined streets and large period properties, and sought after areas include Islington, Angel, Finsbury Park, Camden Town and Hampstead. Properties in North London range anywhere between £600,000 and £2,000,000 and due to having some of the most outstanding Ofsted rated primary and secondary schools in the region, it is popular with parents who want their children to attend a selection of the best state funded schools in London. North London also has some of the most unique and interesting things to do in the capital from swimming in the ponds at Hampstead Heath to visiting one of the oldest single screen cinemas in the UK as recommended by Timeout Magazine. It also has a night time economy with plenty of pubs, bars and restaurants frequented by both residents and visitors to the area.

Question 7

What are the different ways to dispose of waste in North London?

Accepted Answer

There are plenty of waste carriers based in North London who provide a variety of different domestic waste, office clearance, and commercial waste services, charging anywhere between £75 to £250 for home clearances (depending on the size). There is also a privately operated waste transfer station in N17 for household rubbish that stores all types of waste including organic and garden waste, and commercial and domestic junk collection is available in the Leyton area. Skip hire is a popular option, with a provider in E10 that offers scrap metal removal, grab hire, and site clearance for commercial use plus a range of domestic skips suitable for furniture, and DIY waste materials including carpets, flooring and plasterboard.

Question 8

Where are the nearest recycling centres in North London

Accepted Answer

There is a household reuse and recycling centre in N7, and a free to use civic amenity site with bins for mixed recycling, batteries and textiles in Wood Green. The North London Waste Authority (NLWA) operates 8 civic amenity sites across the region in 6 out of the 7 North London boroughs with 3 in Waltham Forest on Kings Road, South Access Road, and Gateway Road. Hackney is the only local authority in North London that does not have its own dedicated household waste and recycling centre, and instead has over 70 recycling banks and bins fitted throughout the borough, however, residents in Hackney are permitted to use other tips situated in Islington, Walthamstow, Leyton and Wood Green. There are also 45 electrical waste recycling banks throughout North London, details of which are available on the NLWA website.

Question 9

What rubbish collection services are available in North London?

Accepted Answer

Borough councils in North London provide regular collections of general waste and dry mixed recycling as a standard service to residents within the boroughs. Councils also offer free food waste collection and provide either bags or food caddies which are usually color coded brown. Due to the nature of collecting different waste types on a large scale, most councils run a fortnightly collection schedule, using color coded bins requiring that residents are aware of their timetable so they can put out the right waste on time for it to be collected. Local authorities greatly rely on the cooperation of residents to ensure that recycling is not contaminated with other types of residual or general waste, as this can cause delays further along the line at materials recovery facilities.

All the north London borough councils offer a subscription service for garden waste collection, which if it needs to be paid for normally costs between £50 and £75 per annum. Additional paid rubbish removal services such as special collections for bulky items, and additional bin collections are also provided by local authorities payable to the council. Clinical waste collection is provided for free upon request for the service with a referral letter from a GP or other medical practitioner on behalf of the patient. For white goods such as freezers and fridges, and waste electrical and electronic equipment (WEEE) a payable collection service also applies and the council is usually able to collect such items. The 7 North London boroughs are able to offer this as a limited free service through their contracted partner organisation, and residents can visit their prospective local authority website for more details.

Need help with a waste clearance in North London? Get in touch

Question 10

How is the local authority in North London handling your waste?

Accepted Answer

The North London boroughs transfer recycling to Materials recovery facilities where they are sorted and then sent on to be reprocessed. This is carried out by waste management businesses working in collaboration with borough and county councils to recover value from waste, and divert waste from landfill sites. Integrated waste management facilities provide mechanised sorting and cleaning of materials using cutting edge technology and processing equipment. When materials arrive at the recovery plant they are quality checked for contaminants, which can cause problems in the sorting facility if they are not identified and removed from the conveyor, which is why councils implement colour coded bin systems for residents so that separation and decontamination of materials can occur early on in the process.

North London Council's Waste Management Performance:

· Overall annual spend on waste management £60,557,084
· Per resident spend £37
· Landfill rate 49.68%
· Reuse and recycling rate 50.32%

Question 11

What are the plans for a greener future in North London?

Accepted Answer

Each North London borough has a legal requirement to plan for a greener future and communicate their strategy publicly, adopting the statutory framework within the London Plan to create a greener and more sustainable environmental and economic future for the whole City. The North London Waste Authority has information on their website to guide residents towards best practice for reducing reusing and recycling waste and provides written information on what to do with household items, clothing and textiles, furniture, and a directory of services for domestic appliance repairs. The North London Waste Authority also run campaigns to support the aims of the organisation such as hosting webinars for residents to spread awareness around topics like food waste reduction, and help shift consumer habits away from “take-make-dispose” towards a circular “make-reuse-recycle” approach.

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