End-of-life vehicles FAQs

End-of-life vehicles (ELVs) have the potential to release hazardous substances into the environment if they are not treated, recycled, or disposed of properly. 

There are organisations and individuals, commonly known as freeloaders, who handle and dismantle motor vehicles without the appropriate environmental licences. Illegal sites operate with an unfair commercial advantage over legitimate operators and can cause significant harm to the environment. This can undermine the ability and willingness of legitimate operators to invest in environmental protection and improvement. Investigating and addressing freeloader activity is part of the Scottish Environmental Protection Agency’s (SEPA’s) better regulation agenda.

If you have a car that is no longer of use, or if you are an operator handling ELVs, the following frequently asked questions may be useful to you.

What is an ELV?

An end-of-life vehicle (ELV) is any type of motor vehicle that is classed as waste. Waste is anything that you discard, intend to discard or are required to discard – including metal sent for recycling or reuse.

What is the ELV Directive?

The ELV Directive regulations aim to prevent waste from end-of-life vehicles and promote the collection, re-use and recycling of their components to protect the environment.

How does the ELV Directive affect me?

The ELV Directive requires that the last owner of a vehicle must be able to dispose of their vehicles free of charge. Vehicle manufactures are required to identify sites to which owners of ELVs can take their vehicles. These sites are known as authorised treatment facilities (ATFs) and will prepare the vehicle for dismantling and recycling.

What is an authorised treatment facility (ATF)? 

ATFs are sites that have been licensed to accept waste motor vehicles, and are able to comply with the requirements of the ELV regulations. ATFs are more commonly referred to as dismantlers, scrap yards, salvage yards or breakers yards. To find a current authorised treatment plant in Scotland check our list excel link (70kb).

How will I know my vehicle is being taken to an authorised treatment facility?
 
Anyone collecting your vehicle should be able to give you details of where it is being taken and the number of the licence issued by SEPA for that site. You can check with your local SEPA office if you are unsure of the validity of the licence.

What happens at an authorised treatment facility?

The site will drain and recover hazardous fluids and materials from within the vehicle to prepare it for dismantling and recycling. This process is known as depollution.

What happens to my ownership/title?

When you vehicle is taken to the ATF you will be issued with a certificate of destruction (CoD) as proof that your vehicle will be destroyed. The ATF will notify the DVLA, who will remove the vehicle registration from their registration database.

Additional advice for ELV treatment facilities

What is the ‘duty of care’?

The ‘duty of care’ is a piece of legislation that requires anyone who produces, transports, stores or treats waste to ensure that they do so without causing pollution. It specifically requires that waste (including ELVs) is only passed on to a person who is legally authorised to deal with it. 

What is a certificate of destruction?

When an ELV is brought to your authorised treatment facility, you will usually have to issue a certificate of destruction (CoD) to the owner; this is their proof that the vehicle has been transferred and will be treated to the required standards before being destroyed. The CoD is an important document because it allows the last owner to show that their vehicle is no longer their responsibility.

What must I do if I want to operate a business treating ELVs?

Before anything else, you will need planning permission from your local authority. You must also have a waste management licence from SEPA and you must meet certain standards to ensure that you:

  • store and treat ELVs in a way that does not harm the environment;
  • remove all hazardous components and liquids (known as ‘depollution’);
  • recycle, store and dispose of the parts appropriately.

SEPA will visit you and, if you meet all these standards, you will be classed as an authorised treatment facility and given access to the DVLA’s electronic CoD system

How do I apply for a waste management licence?

Information on how to apply for a licence, as well as application forms, can be found here.

You will also need to pay an application charge. Further information can be found here.

Please contact your local SEPA office for more information or if you need any help.

Why should I obtain a licence?

There are two reasons why you should obtain a licence.

  1. If you keep or treat undepolluted ELVs without the appropriate licence you are committing a criminal offence and may be prosecuted.
  2. Without a licence we will not be able to approve you as an authorised treatment facility. This means that your site will not be notified to the DVLA and you will not be able to access the CoD system or issue CoDs. If you cannot issue CoDs you risk losing business.

What needs to be removed?

The following items need to be removed as part of the process of depolluting the vehicle:

  • Any batteries.
  • The liquefied gas tank.
  • All potentially explosive components, including air bags.
  • All fuel, motor oil, transmission oil, gearbox oil, hydraulic oil, cooling liquids, antifreeze, brake fluids, air conditioning system fluids and any other fluid contained in the vehicle (excluding any fluid which is necessarily retained for the re-use of the part concerned).
  • So far as is feasible, all components identified as containing mercury.

How do I store ELVs?

Guidance on the storage of ELV’s can be found here.

I’ve paid my fees but there are other sites and waste carriers operating illegally. What can I do?

If you are concerned that a site is operating without a licence, please contact SEPA on 0800 80 70 60, or contact your local SEPA team.

What is SEPA doing about illegal operators?

We have set up a specialist project to tackle the problem of illegal ELV dismantlers and waste carriers. We are working with your trade associations and other organisations such as the police, HM Revenue and Customs (HMRC) and the Vehicle and Operator Services Agency (VOSA) to tackle illegal operators.