End-of-Life Vehicles

The introduction of the End of Life Vehicle Regulations 2003 (as ammended) (ELVR2003) means that every year 2 million End-of-Life Vehicles (ELV) will be processed to ensure that potential pollutants such as fuel, oils, brake fluids and other liquids are removed, collected and stored as part of a decommissioning process. These wastes are ultimately treated or disposed of, with the decommissioned vehicle shredded to produce Automotive Shredder Residue for subsequent recycling and recovery.

Overview

End-of-Life Vehicles are regulated to limit the environmental impact of their disposal by reducing the amount of waste when they are scrapped. The End of Life Vehicle Regulations 2003 (as amended) and the End of Life Vehicle (Producer Responsibility) Regulations 2005 (as amended) are the underpinning legislation applying to all cars with up to 9 seats and small vans of up to 3.5 tonnes. ELVs are classified as hazardous waste in England and Wales and special waste in Scotland until depolluted and must be processed via an Authorised Treatment Facility (ATF).

Producers must meet annual recycling and recovery targets for their brands, currently 95% recovery and 85% recycling. The Office for Product Safety and Standards (OPSS) has been appointed by DEFRA to enforce the regulations and their most recent guidance was published in February 2021