Vehicle Recycling Process
When your End-of-Life Vehicle (ELV) is collected, it's transported to an Authorised Treatment Facility (ATF).
Here, the vehicle undergoes depollution - the process of removing hazardous materials - before any reusable parts are salvaged.
Once these steps are complete, the car is crushed and recycled. Depollution typically occurs within 24 hours of the vehicle arriving at the ATF.
Interested in knowing exactly what depollution actually involves?
Here's the full breakdown. Why is depollution important?
End-of-life vehicles contain many components with real potential to cause environmental harm. Oils, fuel, battery acid, coolants, anti-freeze, windscreen wash and refrigerants (from air conditioning) can all contaminate the earth if disposed of incorrectly - these fluids can enter the water supply and food chain, where they can cause a wide range of health problems.
Other materials pose a danger too, glass is recycled, switches (some contain mercury) and tyres all recycled.
By depolluting a car, the ATF removes these materials and ensures they're disposed of correctly - usually stored briefly until they can be collected by, or delivered to, a specialist recycling centre.
Recycling centres process fluids, tyres and the rest so the materials can be broken down and reused. Tyres, for example, are shredded and the rubber reused in construction.
The tasks an ATF is required to perform during depollution are defined by the Environment Agency (or local equivalent).
An ATF that fails to follow the process can have its licence revoked.
What gets removed during depollution
To depollute an end-of-life vehicle, ATF staff have to remove the following:
| Component | Hazardous or Controlled | Details |
| Lead-acid battery |
Hazardous |
Can be recycled at a specialist recycling centre — see Battery Recycling for more information. |
| Tyres |
Controlled waste. Records of disposal kept for 2 years. Storage regulations apply. |
Can be recycled at a specialist recycling centre — see Tyre Recycling. Strict rules govern how many tyres can be stored on site (tyre fires burn intensely and can last for days). |
| Wheels and lead balance weights |
Hazardous |
Lead is a hazardous material. |
| Liquid Petroleum Gas Tank |
Hazardous |
LPG is hazardous. LPG tanks aren't fitted on all vehicles. |
| Air bags |
Varies — some are hazardous |
Potentially explosive. Even after deployment, many remain classed as hazardous due to residual chemicals. |
| Seat Belt
Pre-Tensioners |
Varies — some are hazardous |
Potentially explosive. Even after deployment, many remain classed as hazardous due to residual chemicals. |
| Oils, fluids, liquids |
Hazardous |
See Recycling Fluids — oils, lubricants, fuel, coolants, refrigerants, anti-freeze and wash fluids are all hazardous waste. Incorrect disposal can contaminate soil and water supply. |
| Catalytic converter |
Controlled waste if intact. Hazardous if open with catalyst material exposed. |
See Catalytic Converters — contain precious metals, but come into contact with pollutants during use. |
| Oil Filter |
Hazardous |
Residual oil can leak and contaminate soil and water supply. |
| Switches containing mercury |
Hazardous |
Mercury is toxic and can contaminate soil and water supply. |
When these materials have been removed, the car is depolluted and safe to crush. After crushing, the metal is recycled, plastics and fibres can be separated and recycled.
Many of the materials removed during depollution can also be recycled, but need processing at specialist facilities. Strict rules govern how much hazardous material an ATF can store, so it's usually sent for recycling very quickly.
ATFs have to store and transfer waste responsibly
The Environment Agency (or local equivalent) requires ATFs to complete official forms when transferring waste, and to store materials safely - where they can't contaminate the environment - while awaiting transfer.
We take pride in providing market-leading scrap car solutions and offering great prices exclusive to us, and arrange free collection of your unwanted vehicle at a time that's convenient for you.
Our network of DVLA-approved Authorised Treatment Facilities ensures your vehicle is recycled in a safe, legal and environmentally friendly manner.
We take pride in providing market-leading scrap car solutions and offering great prices exclusive to us, and arrange free collection of your unwanted vehicle at a time that's convenient for you.
Common questions about the vehicle recycling process
How long does depollution take?
Usually less than 4 days from the vehicle arriving at the ATF.
What happens if an ATF doesn't depollute a car properly?
The Environment Agency (or local equivalent) can revoke the ATF's licence - depollution isn't optional, it's a legal requirement enforced with real consequences.
Can any scrapyard depollute a car, or does it need to be licensed?
Only a licensed Authorised Treatment Facility (ATF) can legally depollute an end-of-life vehicle. This is exactly why using an unlicensed buyer carries real risk - there's no guarantee hazardous materials are handled correctly, or at all.
What happens after depollution?
The car is crushed, then shredded, and its metals, plastics and fibres are separated for recycling. See Car Recycling for the complete journey from collection through to recycled material.
