What is an ATF (Authorized Treatment Facility) and how does it work?

ATF stands for Authorised Treatment Facility. It’s another name for a scrap yard, breaker's yard or metal recycling facility that meets the strict criteria laid down by government agencies. Able to deal with a plethora of different vehicles, a recycler at an ATF will use state-of-the-art technology to efficiently and economically break down cars into their component parts and remove anything of value from those parts.

ATF automobile dismantler that follows tight regulatory requirements for junk automobile disposal.

ATF stands for Authorised Treatment Facility. It’s another name for a scrap yard, breaker's yard or metal recycling facility that meets the strict criteria laid down by government agencies. Able to deal with a plethora of different vehicles, a recycler at an ATF will use state-of-the-art technology to efficiently and economically break down cars into their component parts and remove anything of value from those parts.

ATF’s process scrap cars on behalf of their clients. They often offer a complete service using experienced personnel and specialist equipment. This allows them to save on labour costs which they can pass onto the client in the form of lower charges. Scrap cars are delivered with a certificate of destruction, signed by an ATF operative, to ensure that no incriminating evidence is left behind the following dismantlement.

As part of A2B’s commitment to recycling only the highest quality of vehicle recycling, we only work with Authorised Treatment Facilities (ATF). This membership is renewed annually and each site is visited by our own team to ensure that all safety and environmental standards are being adhered to at all times.

The government’s Waste Car and Truck Agency is responsible for watching over these recycling facilities. For this reason, many people prefer to have their scrap vehicles disposed of by an ATF, than a local scrapyard with no government supervision. By law, all vehicles taken to an ATF must be broken down into their individual parts and sealed in secure containers using a red tape called ‘sealer tape’ so the contents can not be seen.

If you want your car retrieved from your driveway and disposed of at a government-authorised treatment facility (ATF) that is fine, but if you don’t agree to have it retrieved then it is still illegal for anyone to take it. And they won’t be able to sell it for reuse. We’ll need a disposal authority certificate or you will need to arrange disposal with the DVLA through our R&D Vehicle Operations department.