Car insurance – Tips & Advice – Green driving
Recycling and waste disposal are a way of life for many people these days. Not only do we make regular trips down to the bottle bank, most local councils have recycling programmes that enable us to dispose of our rubbish in an environmentally sound way. This can be in the form of home collection or local recycling centres where we can take bigger items.
But what about the really big items? What about if your car reaches the end of the road – what can you do to make sure it's disposed of in a 'green' fashion?
According to the Environment Agency, around two million vehicles reach the end of their life in the UK each year. Some of these will have been written off in an accident whereas others will have reached a natural 'demise', through failing an MOT or being too expensive to fix. Thankfully there is a system in place that can help.
The EC End of Life Vehicle Directive was set up to deal with exactly this situation and aims to reduce the amount of waste from vehicles when they are finally scrapped. Indeed, currently over 80% of the weight of a typical vehicle is re-used or recycled.
Where do you go for disposal?
If your car has reached the end of its life and you need it to be disposed of, the first thing to do is to contact a local Authorised Treatment Facility (ATF). You may think this is just a glorified name for a scrap yard, but these facilities are approved by the Government and have to adhere to the strict rules laid down by the directive.
Since 2007, ATFs have to dispose of your vehicle free of charge (the cost is generally met by the vehicle manufacturer). However, if you are unable to get the vehicle there yourself, there may be a cost for collection. Do investigate, however, if any parts are salvageable as you might get a small amount for scrap.
Once your vehicle has been taken by an ATF, you will be given a Certificate of Destruction to confirm that you have disposed of your vehicle in the most appropriate manner.
What does an ATF do?
ATFs are strictly regulated and monitored on a regular basis to make sure they are compliant with all the regulations put in place by the directive, especially when it comes to storage, disposal and recycling of your vehicle and its component parts.
One of the key aspects of the directive is the 'de-pollution' of vehicles. This consists of the removal of items such as the battery and all types of fluids such as fuel, oil, brake fluids and the like. If these waste products are not disposed of properly they can lead to contamination of waterways and landfill sites.
Not all scrap yards operate as ATFs, and if you want to be sure that your vehicle is being treated in a 'green' way, then make sure you use a registered ATF.
For more information, visit the Waste Online website which has more information on the recycling policies in place and the directive and how it is implemented by an ATF.
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