Asbestos waste – a global problem

The health risks of asbestos are widely recognised, and countries all over the world are working to remove it from buildings and water pipes.  This causes a new problem: how to safely dispose of millions of tonnes of asbestos waste.

In 2019 the European Asbestos Forum heard that there have been about 200 million tons of asbestos produced globally.  Half has been used in Europe, and half in the rest of the world.  The European Commission agrees that the volume of asbestos-containing materials in the EU is likely to exceed 100 million tonnes.  Disposing of this safely is a massive problem.

Waste asbestos usually ends up in landfill.  At least 230,000 tonnes of waste containing asbestos are estimated to go to landfill every year in England.  Some experts point out that this is relocating the problem, not solving it. There is the risk that asbestos may, in the future, become exposed and the dangerous fibres released into the atmosphere or into water sources. Flooding at landfill sites also risks releasing asbestos out into the environment. A resolution on asbestos passed by the European Parliament in 2021 states “Disposing of asbestos waste in landfill is not a viable long-term solution as the waste will have to be dealt with by future generations”.

Innovative approaches are emerging to address asbestos waste safely. These technologies aim to eliminate the health risks associated with asbestos while promoting environmental sustainability. In the UK Thermal Recycling offers asbestos denaturing, which makes it safe, and produces a product that can be used as an alternative to cement.  In the Netherlands, a company called Asbeter employs a process that transforms asbestos cement into harmless materials suitable for reuse in construction. Similarly, in Italy, the company Ecoprogit has developed a method to decompose asbestos fibres into non-toxic substances using high-temperature treatments.

However, challenges persist, including the high costs of these technologies and the need for regulatory frameworks to support their adoption. As the global community continues to grapple with asbestos-related health issues, the development and implementation of effective disposal and recycling methods remain critical to mitigating this enduring threat.

There’s more about the problem of asbestos waste in this BBC article.