End of life vehicles

The number of vehicles in use in the   UK  has risen steadily over recent decades up to an estimated 32 million in 2003/2004.  Just over 2 million vehicles are discarded annually which, at an average weight of one tonne each, results in 2 million tonnes of waste.

End of Life Vehicles have the potential to release hazardous substances into the environment if they are not treated, recycled or disposed of properly.  As a result of concerns about the environmental and economic impacts of waste vehicles, the European Union adopted the End of Life Vehicles (ELV) Directive (2000/53/EC) external link, which came into force on 21st October 2000 .

Requirements of the directive

The Directive, includes the following provisions

  • economic operators (this term includes producers, dismantlers and shredders among others) are to establish adequate systems for the collection of ELVs 
  • last-owners of vehicles must be able to return their vehicles into collection  systems free of charge from January 2007 
  • producers (vehicle manufacturers or importers) are to pay 'all or a significant part' of the costs of take-back and treatment from January 2007 
  • re-use, recycling and recovery targets ('recycling targets') must be met by economic operators by January 2006  (85% recovery with 80% as a minimum for recycling) and from 2015 (95% recovery with a minimum of 85% recycling) 
  • the use of heavy metals in new vehicles will be restricted from July 2003


It is estimated that some 75% of a vehicle (mainly the metallic content) is currently recycled or reused in the UK . The remaining 25%, which mostly comprises of plastic, glass, rubber, foam and contaminants, is generally considered either unsuitable or uneconomic for recycling.  However, the means to recycle some of this will need to be developed if the UK is to meet the Directive targets.

The ELV (Producer responsibility) Regulations 2005

The ELV (Producer responsibility) Regulations 2005 came into force on the 3rd March 2005 . They transpose the aspects of ELV Directive relating to producer responsibility for establishing collection systems to take back end-of-life vehicles (ELVs) from 2007, and the arrangements for meeting re-use, recycling and recovery targets from 2006.

Copy of the regulations can be downloaded from the HMSO website: http://www.hmso.gov.uk/si/si2005/20050263.htm external link

Copy of the explanatory memorandum to the End of Life Vehicles (Producer Responsibility) Regulations 2005 is available on http://www.dti.gov.uk/sustainability/ELV_Guidance_Notes2.pdf external link

ELV storage and treatment legislation

Treatment regulations are through two pieces of legislation; first one is the End-of-Life Vehicles Regulations 2003 which include sections on design and information requirements, certificates of destruction, collection and delivery as well as the keeping and treatment of ELVs.

There are separate Scottish regulations on authorisation of the keeping and treatment of waste motor vehicles called the End-of-Life Vehicles (Storage and Treatment) (Scotland) Regulations 2003 which came into force on 7th January 2004.