Every year on June 20th, the automotive world unites for Global Car Recycling Day. With over 1.6 billion cars on the road, managing “End-of-Life Vehicles” (ELVs) responsibly isn’t just a legal necessity; it’s one of the single most impactful ways we can protect our planet.
At Scrap Local, we aren’t just a network of scrapyards; we are proud contributors to the circular economy. We ensure that when your old car reaches the end of the road, its journey isn’t over.
Did you know that a modern car is made of roughly 30,000 parts? Under UK and EU law, 95% of an End-of-Life Vehicle’s weight must be recycled or recovered.
When you scrap your car through an authorised network like Scrap Local, you prevent hazardous materials from leaching into the soil and heavily reduce the energy needed to manufacture new goods.
We make sure your car is processed at an ATF (Authorised Treatment Facility). This is a government-regulated site permitted by the Environment Agency to handle vehicle depollution safely.
Here is exactly what happens to your car when our local collection partners pick it up:
Before any metal is crushed, all hazardous fluids are carefully drained. This includes engine oil, brake fluid, coolant, and fuel. Pyrotechnic materials (like undeployed airbags) are also safely deactivated.
Working parts in good condition, such as alternators, starter motors, and intact panels, are removed to be cleaned, tested, and sold as green reusable car parts.
The remaining shell is sent to a massive industrial shredder. Giant magnets separate the ferrous metals (steel and iron) from non-ferrous metals (aluminium, copper) and plastics, sorting them into clean recycling streams.
Once destroyed, the ATF updates the DVLA registry and issues your official CoD (Certificate of Destruction) within 7 days, legally releasing you from any future liability for the vehicle.
Whether your car is a non-runner, an MOT failure, or it’s just time for an upgrade, Global Car Recycling Day is the perfect time to clear your driveway and make a positive impact.
Scrap Local connects you directly with verified, fully licensed local ATFs.
No hidden fees, free collection from your doorstep, and the peace of mind that your vehicle is being recycled in line with UK environmental standards.
Get a guaranteed, no-obligation quote in less than 60 seconds!
Let’s keep the wheels of the circular economy turning together.
If you’re sharing your recycling journey or your freshly cleared driveway on social media, be sure to use the official hashtag #GlobalCarRecyclingDay and tag @ScrapLocal so we can highlight our community’s green heroes!
Every year, millions of vehicles reach the end of the road. While most drivers never think about what happens next, vehicle recycling plays a huge role in protecting resources, reducing waste, and keeping valuable materials in circulation. To mark Global Car Recycling Day, here are three facts that show just how much impact the industry has worldwide.
There are now more than 1.4 billion vehicles on roads across the world. Every year, over 40 million of those vehicles reach the end of their usable life, with around 27 million being recycled.
That means every scrapped vehicle is an opportunity to recover valuable materials and give them a second life.
Around 14 million tonnes of steel are recovered from end-of-life vehicles every year. That’s enough steel to build roughly 2,000 Eiffel Towers.
In fact, around 1/4 of the steel used in new vehicles comes from recycled sources, meaning there’s a good chance parts of today’s cars started life in a completely different vehicle.
Scrapping a vehicle responsibly helps reduce the demand for new raw materials and lowers the environmental impact of manufacturing.
Compared to producing steel from raw materials, every tonne of recycled steel can save:
At Scrap Local, every vehicle we collect contributes to a much bigger picture.
From recovering valuable materials to supporting responsible recycling across the UK, vehicle recycling continues to be one of the most effective examples of a circular economy in action.
We have hundreds of scrap car buyers waiting to buy your scrap car.
