Scrapping Your Car at an Authorised Treatment Facility: A Guide

If your current car is reaching the end of its life or is likely going to cost much more to repair than it is now worth, you may have started to consider whether scrapping it is a good idea.

In doing so, a host of terms may have been presented to you. Authorised Treatment Facility, and End of Life Vehicle being the most common. So, in this blog, we explain all there is to know so you can make an informed decision if scrapping your vehicle is the most suitable option for you.

What is an authorised treatment facility?

An Authorised Treatment Facility, or ATF is a specific place where end of life vehicles are taken to be professionally and safely disposed of. This could be a scrap yard or breakers yard for example. Strict rules, set by DEFRA, are in place to ensure that the car is recycled and disposed of correctly and that it is in line with the End of Life Vehicle Regulations as set by the government. Any business that lists itself as an ATF must hold an ATF permit. These permits state that the business has been certified by the local environmental agency to scrap vehicles to the specific standards set out by DEFRA.

What are the authorised treatment facility standards set by DEFRA?

Any ATF must follow specific standards set by DEFRA. By failing to follow these set standards, an ATF could find its permit revoked.

The four categories that all ATFs must fulfil are:

• Issuance of a Certificate of Destruction (CoD). These must be issued quickly by the ATF to ensure that responsibility for the vehicle has now been taken away from the owner.
• Safe storage. All vehicle parts must be safely stored and handled in a manner that does not pose significant risk.
• Depollution processes. The careful and safe removal of any parts, substances or materials of the vehicle that may be hazardous.
• Recycling and recovery. Each ATF must meet targets for recycling and recovery of vehicles with proof of how this has been done.

What is an end of life vehicle?

An end of life vehicle of ELV is a vehicle that is no longer viable to use. There is no set legal time when a vehicle can be declared at the end of its life. Instead, the decision can be made by the owner should they feel the car has suffered irreparable damage, has excessive wear and tear or costs significant sums to repair and would not be worth trying to sell.

You’ll see two types of ELVs often referred to. Natural ELVs and premature ELVs.

• A natural ELV is a vehicle that has now reached the end of its natural life due to age-related vehicle failures or because the cost to repair is no longer economically viable.
• A premature ELV is a vehicle that may be in sound condition technically but has been written off due to damage. Check out our guide about Cat S cars and the other classifications to see what cars should be written off and what can stay on the road.

Why use an authorised treatment facility to scrap your car?

Scrapping your car via an authorised treatment facility stands to benefit not just the environment but also your pockets too. Many of the ATFs across the country offer payments for you to choose them as the destination for your car to be scrapped.

In addition, using an ATF means that you will be able to prove you are no longer responsible for the vehicle. When using an ATF, a certificate of destruction must, by law, be presented to you. This can be hugely beneficial if there has been an attempt to clone your number plate or have any other kind of vehicle fraud committed that would appear to make you liable for any costs.

Authorised Treatment Facilities are also worth using as your vehicle scrappage option thanks to the variety of vehicles they can process. Whilst some scrap yards may have restrictions, certified ATFs can handle standard passenger cars as well as vans.

How would I know if the authorised treatment facility I use is registered?

There are many illegal scrapyards across the UK and opting to choose one will see your vehicle disposed of illegally, causing damage to not only the environment but also the health and safety of the team working at the yard. To see if the facility you are choosing to use is a registered ATF, use the DEFRA website ATF registry tool. This will allow you to find a listing for your chosen scrapyard. If it doesn’t appear on the list, it isn’t registered.

How are cars scrapped at an authorised treatment facility?

Using an ATF allows for cars to be safely scrapped and where possible, have parts recycled or reused. Before getting to that stage though, the vehicle must be depolluted. This involves the safe removal of any parts deemed hazardous or potentially hazardous.

This process includes removing:

• Any parts of the car containing mercury.
• Any parts containing materials deemed as explosive. This could include airbags for example.
• Oil filters.
• Any fuel left in the vehicle.
• The battery.
• Any oil from engine, hydraulics, gearbox and transmission.
• All wheels and tyres.
• The catalytic converter.

Scrapping your car via an authorised treatment facility is the safest, most environmentally friendly and compliant way to scrap your vehicle. Should you have been looking to scrap your car and now, as a result, need a new vehicle, speak to our team at Euphoria. We facilitate both new and used car finance through our position as a direct lender. With our unique approach, we help make buying a car with poor credit easy and enable those looking for first car finance to secure the finance they were previously refused. Get your car finance quote today.