How to scrap your car the safe legal and eco-friendly way

There are many ways to scrap a car. A friend of mine wrote his off after the engine exploded on the motorway. A breakdown service was called, the car was pronounced a write-off. What happens once the car is taken away and are there any legal requirements? Is it possible to get cash when you scrap a car, and is there an environmentally friendly way of doing it? The answers to these questions is 'yes' This article explains more

There are many ways to scrap a car. A friend of mine was driving at 70mph up the M6 north of Birmingham when the engine exploded. He was able to steer the car onto the hard shoulder and bring it to a halt. He's a confident, experienced driver, which may have saved his life. A breakdown service was called, the car was pronounced a write-off and scrapped a couple of days later.

Another friend had his VW split screen camper written off after a deer jumped into its path. Read about it here.

Many cars end their life in accidents or incidents like this one, but there are safer options. If the vehicle is no longer roadworthy and not worth keeping, you could dismantle it at home. Some car scrap advisers even suggest to organise a car scrapping party - making sure people take just the car to pieces, not the entire house! Alternatively, you can try and take your car to the scrap yard. You may have to pay for the disposal of car parts, but most importantly, you will need to make sure that your salvage dealer is registered. You would not want to pay money to have your car scrapped only to find it being dumped in the street.

As your final resort, you can call your local council and arrange for them to pick up your car. They can do it for free or for a relatively small charge. Unfortunately many local authority waste disposal services are inundated with calls and will probably forward your query to a scrap car dealer or vehicle dismantler.

It's important to be aware that you are now legally required to depollute your car as a part of dismantling it. This is not just another fickle attempt to 'go green'. You will need the documentary proof that you scrapped your car in an environmentally friendly way. This is a laborious process that's performed with specialist equipment. It involves removing electrical sources and draining hazardous chemicals, and that is BEFORE you even get to removing tyres and usable parts. Your car disposal site needs to have all the resources necessary to undertake the legally required action on your car. Once the job is completed, your V5 log book is processed, a Certificate of Destruction is issued and both the environment and your conscience will be clean. The Certificate of Destruction is vitally important as the proof that your car was dismantled in accordance with legal and environmental requirements. Without proper de-registration the last owner will still be liable for their car under both new and continuous legislation.

Only by using a professional, expert service that's officially registered can you be absolutely sure that the scrapping process will have been carried out properly. Greater Manchester scrap car disposal specialist Metro Salvage is the largest vehicle dismantler in the local area, and as well as collecting your car free of charge, they can also pay in cash for scrap. The company was featured in the national press and prides itself on improving the Earth's atmosphere by professionally depolluting 'End-of-Life' vehicles. For Scrap Car disposal in London see Pickupmyscrapcar.co.uk.

The Environment Agency provides a public register list of Authorised Treatment Facilities for vehicle depollution. For more information about 'End-of-Life' vehicles and the legal requirements for scrapping your car, visit The Environment Agency. If you are a small business reading this article, check the NetRegs's Environmental Guidance for small businesses. And to keep updated about news and regulations for waste management, visit the Recycling and Waste section of the DEFRA.

Information provided by Metrosalvage. Edited by Aidan O'Rourke

2007-05-10