How to Dispose of Cellulose Insulation

There are several circumstances under which you may want the cellulose in your home removed. It may be infested with mold or may have lost its capacity to insulate your attic effectively. If you are having the insulation in your attic replaced or removed, you must know how to dispose of it in a responsible and environmentally-friendly manner. You should also consider your safety and health, as insulation removal is challenging even for experts with the right know-how and equipment. You may expose yourself to risks such as asbestos fibers from previous installations.

If you had cellulose blown into your premises and are having it removed, you should know that it cannot be recycled as it is made of newspaper coated with fire retardant agents. Here are some tips that can help you get rid of the cellulose insulation in your home effectively:

Steps to safe disposal of cellulose insulation

If there is too much cellulose in your space and cannot quite collect it by hand, you can use a leaf blower or dust collector to pool the loose insulation into a common heap; otherwise, you can pick it up easily. Use heavy-duty gloves to protect your hands from the chemical agents used to process cellulose and gather it into plastic trash bags. Squeeze the excess air out of the bags and seal them out with a plastic or cable tie. Place the filled trash bags into a second higher-density trash bag for additional sealing then secure them with cable or wire ties after removing the excess air.

Contact the local waste management authorities

Once the cellulose is safely stored in trash bags, you can then call the waste management body in your residence for advice on how to proceed further. Some will instruct you to take it to a specific point in the landfill or may ask that you dispose of it with regular household garbage. Always ensure that you follow the regulations set in place by your municipality to ensure that you avoid endangering other residents or getting into trouble with the law.