Vehicle Disposal
In the UK about 2.2 million vehicles come to the end of their lives each year, currently 85% of an end of life vehicle is recycled - by 2015 all end of life vehicles must meet 95% recycling & recovery targets.
Based near Duxford, Cambridge, Charltons have an ELV treatment facility housing 3 depollution rigs, able to process 20 cars per day, in a purpose built building known as a 'depollution unit'. This unit allows us to recycle vehicles in line with current legislation.
As an Authorised Treatment Facility Charltons depollute, process and recycle end of life vehicles (ELVs) for the council, insurance companies, garages and the general public.
The Depollution Process
There are a number of processes that an End of Life Vehicle goes through to ensure its safe and environmentaly friendly disposal.
All potentially hazardous liquids; petrol, air conditioning gases, oils, coolants, transmission and suspension fluids are drained and stored in specially designed tanks.
Wheels, catalytic-convertors, batteries, airbags and LPG tanks are removed from the vehicle and stored ready for specialist recycling.
Tyres and rims separated and the rim is crushed using a specialised wheel crusher.
The car shell is then flattened for easy transportation to a shredder for recycling.
The EU's new ELV Directive makes the last owner of a vehicle responsible for its disposal. Owners must be issued with a Certificate of Destruction (CoD) from an Authorised Treatment Facility (ATF) like Reclamet or they could face hefty fines or even end up in prison.
The certificate acts as proof that a vehicle has been destroyed - meaning the owner's car tax and other obligations are at an end. It also shows that the car has gone through the correct recycling processes, which will help to reduce significantly the half a million tonnes of vehicle waste that is currently dumped in UK landfill each year.
If you do not obtain a CoD, you could be liable, as the owner, for road tax. In addition if the car is subsequently abandoned, under the Clean Neighbourhood Act, 2005, a local authority is now able to issue a £200 fixed penalty for the dumping of a car and under the refuse disposal act, an illegal dumper could be fined up to £2500 and face three months in prison.