What is a waste carrier’s licence?

A waste carrier’s licence is the principal means by which the Environment Agency regulates the transportation of waste in England, Scotland, and Wales. The Waste (England & Wales) Regulations 2011 define those who must hold a licence as a waste carrier, broker or dealer. A waste carrier can hold only one licence at a time so will need to apply for a new one if they wish to transport another type of waste.

A waste carrier license is needed by anyone that undertakes any of the following:

• Transport waste

• Buy, sell or dispose of waste

• Arrange for someone else to buy, sell or dispose of waste

The waste carrier's licence is something that your local council or the Environment Agency should be able to help with in order to assure you that you are only using a company or individual who has the correct paperwork to deal with scrap cars. We are delighted to say that every one of our partner yards has the correct paperwork in place and we can assure you that as someone looking to sell your scrap car, recycling centre or scrap yard is completely safe.

Most of your car will be recycled

Over 95% of scrapped cars are recycled in some way. European law means that the vast majority of a vehicle can be recycled to make new products. So while your old banger may rust away in a field, it will still provide valuable raw materials for use in other vehicles. Materials from your car can include the metals in the engine, braking systems and suspension; plastics such as seats, bumpers and door trim; fabrics used for upholstery; tyres and even airbags.

You will be surprised at the kind of materials that a scrap car can contribute, and even more surprised at the other materials that your car may be made from. In order to comply with government regulations, almost every vehicle that reaches a scrap yard is subject to processes such as crushing, shredding, and shearing - all of which enable recyclers to recover valuable metals and component parts. You might be surprised to learn that these processes often cause minimal damage to most vehicles.

What can be recycled?

It’s probably no surprise to discover that the steel recovered from a scrap car can be recycled; but there are plenty of other materials that can be recovered and recycled from your car, including:

• Tyres

• Hoses and belts

• Windscreen and windows

• Radiators

• Batteries

• Transmission and gearbox materials

• Seats, mats, and fabrics

• Oil, air, and fuel filters