Scrap Car Recycling – Everything You Need to Know About Scrap Car Recycling

Scrap Car Recycling – Everything You Need to Know About Scrap Car Recycling

When a car is no longer safe to drive and its roadworthiness is compromised, it must be properly disposed of. Scrap car recycling gives End of Life Vehicles (ELV) value to the very end, ensuring all recyclable and reusable components are responsibly removed.

There are many benefits to scrap car recycling, from owners receiving money for their car, to the environmental advantages of reusing materials. In this guide, our ELV recycling experts at SL Recycling explain what scrap car recycling is, how it works, the benefits it provides, how much your car could be worth, and how we can help you professionally scrap your car. As leading scrap metal recyclers in South Wales processing 500 decommissioned ELVs at our site each month, we are the scrap car experts.

View our End of Life Vehicle Recycling services.

Scrap Car Recycling

Scrap car recycling is the process of deconstructing a ELV to extract valuable and recyclable components. By taking a car to a scrap yard (or having it collected), owners ensure cars are properly recycled in an environmentally friendly manner.

ELV scrapping must be done through a registered scrap car recycler, such as SL recycling, who can ensure the car is properly managed and recycled in environmentally considerate ways. Only Authorised Treatment Facilities (ATFs) are legally approved to deal with scrapping.

Benefits of Scrap Car Recycling

Money

The big appeal of scrap car recycling is that owners can receive money for their car. This means that although their ELV cannot be resold, they can still make money from it, namely from the scrap metal and reusable components. As car scrapping is a competitive market, scrap car prices are offered at competitive rates.

Increased Recycling

The latest government target of recycling up to 95% of a scrap car means a huge amount of valuable material is diverted from landfill. Recycling ELVs has many positive knock-on effects for the environment, helping to preserve finite materials, reduce negative impact on ecology of mining resources, and save energy in the production of virgin materials. In fact, recycling one tonne of steel (used in production of most cars) preserves 2,500 pounds of iron ore, 1,400 pounds of coal and 12 pounds of limestone.

Reusing

Many car parts are taken out during scrapping, some of which can be reused, such as batteries. Not only is this less wasteful as it ensures components are used to the full, but it also helps to reduce the demand on new car production with environmental benefits.

New Material Creation

All sorts of materials and products can be created from car recycling. Examples include: flooring for children’s playgrounds and sports pitches can be made from tyres; jewellery can be made from precious metals found in catalytic converters; clothing accessories can be created from recycled interiors containing leather; rubbish bins or garden furniture can be made from plastics found in the dashboard.

See more: Catalytic Converter Recycling – All There Is to Know About Recycling Catalytic Converters

Documentation

When a car comes to the end of its life, it must be properly dealt with, including compliance with relevant authorities. Authorised scrap car recyclers often deal with the required paperwork for their customers, reducing any hassle for car owners. Here at SL Recycling, we issue a Certificate of Destruction to the DVLA for our customers, making the process of scrap car recycling simple for our customers.

How Much Is My Scrap Car Worth?

The price of scrap cars can vary extensively depending on a variety of factors. The model of the car, region, condition, availability of resellable parts, weight, current market rates and more can all fluctuate the price. Very old or damaged cars may have value, even if just in the value of the scrap metal.

Car owners can get anywhere from £50-£500. Get in touch for a quote from SL Recycling, scrap car recycling experts in South Wales.

Scrap Car Recycling Process

For regular petrol and diesel cars, the process of recycling occurs in three stages as follows:

De-pollution

At this initial stage, hazardous materials are removed from the car in a careful manner so as to prevent chemicals leaching into the environment. Fuel, brake fluid, windscreen washer fluid and more are carefully removed.

Dismantlement

Car parts are then removed and assessed; parts in good condition can be reused to maximise life. Catalyst converters, car types, and glass are just some of the components removed and recycled.

Destruction

Once liquids and recyclable components are removed, the car’s metal shell is crushed and further processed for metal recycling via processes of magnetic separation, detinning and melting. Only around 5% of a whole vehicle can’t be recycled.

Electric cars are more complex to decommission due to containing more high voltage systems and magnets requiring removal and careful management.

Scrap Car Collection

SL Recycling offer a scrap car collection service, as well as handling paperwork and legislation, to remove all hassle for our customers. Our same day collection service, market leading prices and quick payments mean we will not be beaten on service.

SL Recycling’s scrap car collection service:

  • Same day collection
  • Best prices
  • DVLA issued Certification of Destruction
  • Quick payment
  • 24/7 call outs
  • Reliable
  • Quick service
  • Responsive team

At our waste processing facility in Ystrad Mynach, we have dedicated capabilities for efficient scrap car and metal recycling. We pride ourselves on our long-established metal recycling reputation in South Wales, providing a range of expert scrap metal recycling services including ELV recycling at market leading prices.

Recycle Your Scrap Car with SL Recycling

We are leading scrap metal and ELV recycling providers in South Wales. From our dedicated metal recycling facilities to our expert team of specialist recycling technicians, we have the proven knowledge and extensive experience to provide the best available scrap car recycling. We will not be beaten on professional service or price.

For same day collection and best price for your scrap car, contact SL Recycling. Our 24/7 call outs and quick payments ensure our customers receive a seamless service without hassle.

All metal recycling services >

See more: Advantages of Recycling Metal – Why Is It Important to Recycling Metal?

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