CarTakeBack collection truck with driver and customer

Looking to
recycle your scrap car?

Simply enter your registration and postcode to see how much you can get for your car!

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 1,261 service ratings over the past year

Wouldn't hesitate to recommend.

Minimal fuss , quote was the best I could find , no conditions, gave a reasonable window to collect . Very pleasant chap came to collect the car . Excellent experience.

Very professional and reliable.

I found the service to be very easy, professional and reliable. They collected the vehicle when stared and trued calling first to confirm collection. The guy was very polite and efficient. The money was transfered the same day.

Excellent. Great communication and professional service

From contacting the company to collection of the vehicle, the service provided was great. Communication was good throughout and Kevin who collected the vehicle was professional, efficient and friendly. An excellent service all round.

Blackpool

Excellent service, easy to use. I got a good quote for my car, once accepted they were in touch to arrange collection. Collection was quick and easy. Within a day I'd received the money and certificate of destruction of my vehicle. Very well organised company.

Very friendly, very easy to use service

From the chap on the phone, to the very helpful truck driver who picked up the vehicle, a pleasant experience throughout, unusual for the motor trade some might say..thanks to all involved.

Excellent service

Very quick from start to finish, was contacted quickly after filling in the online form, collection of my car was by a lovely gent, very professional, happy especially for 8:45 in the morning

Great service!!

Amazing service! Quick and easy! However I sold my car to CarTakeBack 1 week and a half ago and have not received confirmation of reporting it to the DVLA. Other than that, amazing service, received the money straight away.

review stars for car take back

Find out how much your scrap car is worth

To see what your scrap car is worth, simply enter your reg and postcode into our instant quote form.

Finding you the
best price...

Working on it...

Refreshing your quote...

Accepting your quote...

Loading your account...

Official Partner to:

Aston Martin logo
Dacia logo
Ford logo
Infiniti logo
Perodua logo
Volvo logo
Polestar logo
Iveco logo
Jaguar logo
Lotus logo
Peugeot logo
DS logo
Land Rover logo
Mazda logo
Tesla logo
MG logo
Renault logo
SsangYong logo
Mitsubishi logo
Citroen logo
Nissan logo
Alpine logo
smart logo