Guide
Hazardous waste disposal cost: what councils and carriers publish
Updated
Hazardous waste disposal cost depends on what the waste is and how much there is, and the only published prices are councils' own charges: £1.50 a fluorescent tube, from £5 a gas cylinder and £60 a commercial fridge in Warwickshire, and £6 to £21.30 a sheet of bonded asbestos across six councils, read 28 October 2026.
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Published charges by waste type
| Waste | Published charge | Who publishes it |
|---|---|---|
| Fluorescent tube (up to 8 feet) | £1.50 per tube | Warwickshire, business waste |
| Gas cylinder or fire extinguisher | from £5 per unit | Warwickshire, business waste |
| Commercial fridge or freezer | £60 per unit | Warwickshire, business waste |
| Bonded asbestos at a recycling centre | £6 to £21.30 per sheet | six councils, table below |
| Asbestos collected from home | £18.90 treatment fee per sheet or sack, on top of the collection | Somerset |
Source: UK Hazardous Waste Disposal Price Index: every row, with its source
Why most carriers quote rather than publish
A hazardous waste collection is priced on the waste's classification, the quantity, how it is packed and how far it travels to a permitted site, so the companies we read for chemical and laboratory waste all quote per job. Classification comes first: GOV.UK sets out how a producer decides whether waste is hazardous before it is moved.
Source: GOV.UK: how to classify different types of waste
Asbestos at a council recycling centre
| Council | Published charge | Unit |
|---|---|---|
| Derbyshire | £6 | per sheet or equivalent volume, up to 2 sheets |
| East Sussex | £8 | per bag or sheet |
| Plymouth | £11 | per bag or sheet (council news release) |
| Somerset | £19.30 | per sheet over the monthly allowance |
| BCP (Bournemouth, Christchurch and Poole) | £21 | per sheet, £10.50 per bag, over the free allowance |
| Devon | £21.30 | per sheet or bag, up to 10 |
Most councils take only bonded asbestos from households, in small quantities and double wrapped; larger amounts and business waste go to a licensed carrier.