How to dispose of hazardous waste

Any product which may cause harm to people or the environment is considered hazardous. Waste of this kind can be found in both solid, liquid and gas form and fines of up to £5,000 can be issued to anyone who breaks the law by incorrectly disposing of hazardous waste.

Hazardous waste comes in many forms and a lot of items can be found within the home, such as:

• Antifreeze
• Brake fluid
• Batteries
• Paint
• White spirit
• Glue
• Gas cylinders
• Asbestos
• Fluorescent lights
• Pesticides
• Insecticides
• Weed killers

If you wish to dispose of any products like this you should take them to your local recycling centre so they can be disposed of correctly and you should never put items of this kind in your rubbish bin or pour any hazardous liquids down the drain. Hazardous waste needs to be disposed of correctly because the chemicals can contaminate soil, the local water supply and pollute the air we breathe.

Asbestos is particularly harmful causing deadly lung diseases and up until recently it was a product that was widely used in buildings. If you discover asbestos in your home or business premises it must be safely removed by a licensed contractor and it will then be disposed of as hazardous waste. The property owner is responsible for ensuring that asbestos is disposed of safely so that the material does not endanger themselves, their family, employees or anyone else who is likely to come into contact with the material.

At LSPS we do not dispose of hazardous waste but you can take this kind of waste to one of the household waste recycling centres in Leicestershire. For more information on our waste recycling and waste disposal services please click here or contact us on 0800 083 7807.