Guide 17
What happens to a car when it is scrapped
Most people never see what happens after the recovery truck pulls away. Here is the car’s last journey through an Authorised Treatment Facility, step by step.
In short
- Hazardous material always comes out first.
- Parts in good condition are removed for reuse.
- The stripped shell is shredded and the materials separated.
- Most of a car by weight is reused, recycled or recovered.
Step by step
- 1
Arrival and paperwork
The facility records the car, checks the documents and, if it is to be destroyed, starts the Certificate of Destruction.
- 2
Depollution
Fuel, oil, coolant, brake fluid and air-conditioning refrigerant are drained. The battery is removed, and airbags are removed or made safe.
- 3
Dismantling
Parts with a second life, such as engines, gearboxes, doors, lamps and electronic units, are taken off, checked and stored for sale.
- 4
Shredding
The remaining shell is shredded into fist-sized pieces.
- 5
Separation and recycling
Magnets and other processes split steel from aluminium, copper, plastics and glass, which go on to be made into new products.
Why depollution comes first
A car contains several litres of fluids that are harmful if they reach soil or water, plus a lead-acid battery and pyrotechnic airbag charges. Removing those first protects the site and the people working on it, and is a condition of the facility’s permit.
The second-hand parts trade
Used parts from scrapped cars keep other cars on the road. A good engine or gearbox from a car with accident damage at the other end can save a repair that would otherwise be uneconomic. That is why a car’s make and model, not just its weight, affect what a buyer offers.
How much of a car is recycled
The End-of-Life Vehicles Regulations set a target for at least 95% of a vehicle, by weight, to be reused, recycled or recovered. The steel and aluminium that make up much of a car are among the most recycled materials there are.
Cars that are repaired instead
A facility is allowed to repair a vehicle and sell it rather than destroy it. That happens occasionally with cars that are better than their owners thought. In that case no Certificate of Destruction is issued, and the DVLA record shows a new keeper.
Your part in it
You do not need to drain anything or remove parts. In fact, a car with major parts missing can cost more to process. Hand the car over complete, with any known faults described, and the facility does the rest.
Questions
Related questions
Short answers to questions this guide often raises.
Do I get anything back if parts are resold?
No. The offer you accept is for the whole car. Its parts and materials are part of what the buyer is paying for.
How long does a car stay at the facility?
It varies. Depollution happens soon after arrival; dismantling and shredding follow as the site schedules them.
Is my personal data at risk from the car's systems?
Infotainment systems can store phone contacts and addresses. Disconnect your phone and use the car's reset option if it has one before collection.
Guides
Read next
- 01Authorised Treatment Facilities, explained5 minThe only places allowed to scrap a car, what their permit covers and how to check one.
- 02Scrapping an electric or hybrid car5 minThe same paperwork, a different job at the facility: what happens to the battery.
- 03The Certificate of Destruction, explained5 minWhat the certificate proves, when you get it and the cases where none is issued.
Ready when you are
Start with the registration and postcode. A licensed buyer covering your area comes back with an offer, and collection is free.