CarTakeBack collection truck with driver and customer

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recycle your scrap car?

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CarTakeBack scrap car recycling centre and staff member

Scrap car recycling

CarTakeBack specialises in providing an authorised scrap car recycling service. We’re the largest scrap car recycling network in the UK!

There are laws in place to reduce the impact that scrap cars can have on the environment.

  • To start with, any business handling scrap cars should have an Authorised Treatment Facility (ATF) permit – all CarTakeBack recycling centres hold one of these Government licenses.
  • Every scrap car must undergo a depollution process to remove all of the toxic materials.
  • Then, as much of the car as possible needs to be recycled in order to hit the Government’s scrap car recycling target of 95%.

How a car is recycled

Cars don’t just get crushed into a cube! When a car arrives at the scrap car recycling centre there’s a lot that goes into depolluting and recycling it. Fluids such as fuel, brake fluid, even windscreen wash have to be safely removed from the vehicle, ensuring that no excess chemicals leak into the environment. Airbags have to be securely detonated. Any parts that are in a good condition are salvaged for reuse, to get the maximum life out of them.

It’s now ready to be crushed, this is usually done to make vehicles easier and more efficient to transport for further recycling. The cubed or crushed vehicles are then safely transported to a shredder plant. These shredder facilities process the vehicles into smaller pieces and separate the metal, glass, plastics and fabrics, which can then be recycled for use in various ways. At this point there is just 5% of the vehicle leftover that can’t be recycled, which becomes top cover for landfill.

Recycling electric vehicles

This process is just for a regular petrol or diesel vehicle, but as you might guess, there’s even more involved in decommissioning an electric vehicle! Not only do the high voltage batteries need to be safely disconnected and removed from an electric or hybrid car, but various other high voltage systems and powerful magnets also need to be carefully made safe, before taking the rest of the car apart.

Investing in advanced recycling methods

The sophisticated post-shredder separation technologies employed by CarTakeBack’s shareholders have been successful, both in extracting value and reducing the amount of waste ending up in landfill, with greater volumes of shredder waste material heading for further processing. This is predominantly due to huge investment by CarTakeBack shareholder S. Norton & Co, in the Shredder Waste Advanced Processing Plant (SWAPP) operated by plastics specialist Axion Polymers. This large scale facility produces a high quality, recycled plastic product, for which there is sufficient demand to make the whole process economically viable.

This powerful combination enabled CarTakeBack and its car maker partners to meet the UK’s statutory 95% reuse, recycling and recovery obligation, two years ahead of it coming into force. CarTakeBack’s years of experience and ongoing investment will help to ensure that targets such as these can continue to be met. We are future-proofing our operation to make sure we can continue to offer the same high standards for recycling electric and hybrid cars and vans too.

Car shells on racking ready for the metal to be recycled

Scrap car recycling to the highest standard

Every scrap car sold with CarTakeBack, which is ready to be scrapped, is recycled to 95%. CarTakeBack has met or exceeded the Government’s car recycling target every year since it was introduced as part of the End of Life Vehicle regulations.

The Government Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs (DEFRA) is responsible for regulating parts of our industry. They make sure that car manufacturers provide a convenient, free, take back service for end of life vehicles (ELVs), and that the demanding recycling and recovery targets are met. CarTakeBack are long-standing members of the Government’s Consultation Group for ELVs.

feefo white logo scrap your car reviews

4.9/5 stars based on 1,406 service ratings over the past year

Great service

Quick valuation then good communication regarding collection- driver was well within the agreed window and was helpful and pleasant Hassle free and a very fair price paid thanks

Excellent service From start to finish

Excellent service from start to finish The only one thing that I could say was a down fall was when I tryed to speak to someone over the phone. The waiting time in the cue was extremely long.

Best price, great service

Great service, good price offered for car. Collected promptly and kept updated all the way. Money transferred within 72 hours and they notify DVLA for you.

Fair price unlike a local rival

Had quotes from C R Hales who then a couple weeks later reduced the quote by £100, but D Yarham fair price and did what they said when they said. Much better and would use again.

Great service

Gave me a good price to scrap my old car. Collected it without any problems. I was unsure of how to do the document transfer as lost my log book but they sorted it for me.

Great service.

I was sad to see my little car being driven away. Your service made it easier. Helpful and courteous agent talked me through the process and the driver who collected my car was on time. Thank you for sending the agreed amount to my account.

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