Scrapping and recycling cars in the UK isn’t something just anyone can do. At least, not in a legal sense, anyway.

Believe it or not, it’s actually a criminal offence to scrap and recycle end-of-life vehicles without an Environment Agency-issued permit. Furthermore, it is the Environment Agency that determines which facilities can operate as an Authorised Treatment Facility (ATF).

These are the only facilities that are legally permitted to dismantle and recycle scrap cars in the UK. Send your vehicle anywhere else for recycling and you could find yourself on the receiving end of a DVLA penalty.

What Does it Mean to Be an Authorised Treatment Facility?

From the customer’s perspective, avoiding a hefty penalty is usually all the motivation needed to use an ATF. At Take My Scrap Car, we exclusively work with Authorised Treatment Facilities across the Norfolk region, in order to ensure the vehicles we collect are responsibly recycled.

As for the facility itself, there are certain standards and key performance indicators that must be met to achieve ATF status. Just a few of the checks performed by the Environment Agency when considering ATF permit applications are as follows:

  • That all vehicles are fully depolluted no more than four days after arriving on-site, irrespective of whether they are to be salvaged for parts or completely scrapped.
  • The site as a whole must be sufficiently safeguarded and protected from intrusion, in order to prevent trespassers gaining access to potentially hazardous materials.
  • Evidence must be provided that all reasonable steps are taken to prevent hazardous fluids leaking out into the surrounding environment.
  • Limitations are placed on the quantity of weight that can be taken by any given site per year – currently 5000 tonnes of waste motor vehicles.
  • Under no circumstances is it permissible for an ATF to burn any waste materials, either in a contained incinerator or in an open space.

ATF approval is only provided upon fulfilment of all of these criteria. After which, the licensed ATF is required to undergo periodic inspections (and occasional random audits), in order to ensure they are playing by the rules.

Why Scrap Your Vehicle with TMSC?

At Take My Scrap Car, we work hard to ensure that every vehicle we collect is recycled in accordance with all applicable UK legislation. We work exclusively with authorised treatment facilities, vetting and verifying the credentials of our select service partners.

When the time comes to scrap an end-of-life vehicle of any kind, we’ll be happy to handle all aspects of the process on your behalf. We’ll collect your vehicle from your address, transport it to an authorised treatment facility and lend a hand with the DVLA paperwork.

In addition, you’ll be provided with a fair quotation for your car at the time of your initial inquiry. If happy to go ahead, we’ll transfer the full amount quoted into your account on the day of collection.

For more information on any of the above or to arrange collection of your scrap car, contact a member of the team at Take My Scrap Car today.