*** NOTE the CVRD is not accepting drywall at CVRD Recycling Centres and depots due to concerns over asbestos ***
Every week CVRD Recycling Centre staff meet residents that have unknowingly handled asbestos material. Most of the asbestos has come from home renovations. This campaign aims to raise awareness of the risks of handling asbestos and to protect CVRD staff and the community from asbestos exposure.
Asbestos is in the majority of homes. Two out of three Cowichan homes were built before the 1990s, when asbestos was extensively used in construction. While asbestos is now more regulated, newer homes may contain asbestos. Asbestos can be found in flooring, walls, ceiling, insulation, plumbing, wiring, light fixtures and more.
Asbestos Kills. Asbestos is made up of tiny fibres that go deep into your lungs, causing breathing problems in the short term and deadly cancer in the long term.
Renovations release asbestos into the air and puts everyone at risk: you, your kids, your building contractor, the trucker who hauls away your construction waste and the worker at the waste facility who handles it.
Have a pro handle it safely. The only safe way to deal with asbestos is to have your house tested and then get a reputable asbestos removal company to remove and dispose of it. The cost of these services is a small price to pay when buying or renovating a house to protect everyone you care about and many you have never met.