Scrap Yards and ATFs

Finding suitable buyers for your scrap car can be a bit of a minefield. Different locations, vehicles and companies can all affect what monetary value will be attributed to your car.

And whilst occasionally the best prices are offered when you go directly to a scrap yard, this isn’t always the case, and the time spent contacting each individual yard can be an inefficient use of your time.

Which is why we put together Scrap Car Comparison; a comprehensive network of the most trusted and approved scrap yards spanning across the UK.

All of the scrap yards in our network are at least Trusted buyers, giving you peace of mind when scrapping your vehicle with us. We’ve checked their credentials to ensure price satisfaction and strong consumer protection.

Company Background Check: This means that we have looked into how long the company has been trading for, their trade references and the systems which they have in place to deal with vehicle collections.

In-depth Questionnaire: This means that we have all information regarding their company activities and the services which they provide so that we can ensure we match our customers with the most suitable buyers.

Contact Verification: This means that we have all of the relevant information about their company, such as payment methods, collection times and their site address, and various points of contact have been taken and verified so that we can always get hold of them on behalf of our users.

Licenses Checked: As an Authorised Treatment Facility (ATF), their registered number is recorded and checked along with their Waste Carriers and Scrap Metal Dealers licences.

Certified buyers are the scrap car buyers we regard the highest. These scrap buyers have passed the above ‘Trusted’ vetting process and gone through more stringent checks.

95% Positive Feedback: This means that we have looked into the reviews left by their customers and followed up on any negative feedback to see if the issue was followed up upon and resolved, and whether any actions were put in place to prevent recurrence.

Site Visited and Inspection Made: All certified buyers have been visited by a member of the Scrap Car Comparison team on their site to check that correct practices are followed regarding payments and customer contact.

Service Level Agreements: This means that each of our certified buyers have had their collections monitored for 6 months to ensure that they adhere to the targets and customer response times set out in our initial agreement.

Scrap yards near you

Our nationwide network makes finding a buyer for your scrap car incredibly easy. That’s because we cover every area in the UK which means we can find a company to purchase your vehicle regardless of your location.

 

When you get a scrap car quote online with us we’ll show you the top offers from scrap yards close to you. There’s no hidden fees or additional costs, just simple time saving bids for your car.

 

And we can do all of this whilst offering you the most competitive scrap car prices in the market. A fact we’re so sure of, we guarantee all of our quotes.

Making the scrap car process quick and easy

FREE Car Collection from your location

Did you know that all of our car collections are free across the entirety of the UK? We’ll arrange pickup of your vehicle from your driveway with no price negotiation or hidden fees on the day. We then make payment that same day.

What Guidelines do ATFs Have to Follow?

The guidelines set by the EA ensures all ATFs (scrap yards) perform correctly, allowing them to scrap cars in a responsible and legal manner. Any scrap yard that is not registered as an ATF is not allowed to depollute vehicles.

These guidelines can easily be broken down into five distinct areas below:

1. Have all correct planning permissions and permits to treat End-of-Life Vehicles (ELVs), including a scrap metal dealer’s licence and environmental permit
2. Be able to depollute or expertly dispose of any hazardous waste from vehicles
3. Supply Certificate of Destruction documents through the DVLA system to prove that the owner’s responsibility for the car has finished
4. Safely handle and store car parts
5. Meet recycling and recovery targets according to government regulations

What Happens to Your Car at an ATF?

Once your car has been collected it will be taken to an ATF, where the car will go through a few procedures before it is finally destroyed.

Depollution

The very first thing that happens is for your car to go through the depollution process, which sees all hazardous materials and parts removed from the vehicle. This will consist of elements including the fuel, battery, catalytic converter, the petrol tank and any liquids still in the car such as oil, brake fluid, antifreeze and coolant. These are removed first so that the Authorised Treatment Facility can be sure that there’s no risk to humans, animals or the environment during the remainder of the scrapping process.

They will also carefully remove anything potentially explosive – like the airbag – and the engine and exhaust systems will be disconnected. Any part of the vehicle that housed fluids will be flushed through with water, ensuring they are completely clean before moving on.

Dismantlement

Following the depollution process, the vehicle will now be completely cleared of any hazardous materials and dismantling can begin, working its way through the engine, undercarriage and main body of the car.

A number of elements removed during this process will be able to be reused or recycled elsewhere, such as the following:

• Tyres: Just because they’re no longer rolling along doesn’t mean tyres are now useless. Tyres can have a number of new uses, often being used as garden planters, or in children’s playgrounds. They have also been repurposed into flooring for football pitches.
• Glass windows: Glass is one of the most versatile substances around, and your old windscreen could well end up, once it’s been melted down, as a new bottle, jar or vase. Broken glass can even be turned into ornaments or mosaics.
• Dashboard plastics: Much like the plastics you can recycle at home, the plastic from your dashboard, and anywhere else in the car for that matter, will get repurposed into any number of items, including garden furniture or rubbish bins.
• Leather interiors: If you’d paid the extra for the leather trim in your car, fear not, as it won’t be going to waste when it heads to the scrap yard. Any leather from the car will get reused and could very well be on a belt or handbag you buy in future.

There are a wide range of recyclable options in cars, for a detailed explanation of how cars can be recycled.

Destruction

Once the car has been stripped of its usable elements, it will be left with just the frame, and – the most satisfying part of the process – crushing can begin. Once it has been crushed, the final metals will be separated at a metal mill. The metals on a car have a thin layer of tin for protection, this will be removed and the steel will be melted down to be used again for a wide range of items – including the production of brand new cars, so you can think of your car simply as a phoenix waiting to rise up from the ashes as someone drives their new car off the forecourt.

All these steps, however, will take place long after your involvement has ended. Once the car has been taken from you and you have received your payment, you can rest easy knowing your old car is being recycled and repurposed in the best possible way. All you have to do is figure out how you’re going to spend the money you’ve just been given.

Scrap Yard frequently asked questions (FAQs)

Will scrap yards pay me in cash?

Be wary of any scrap yards that pays you cash in hand – this has been an illegal practice since 2013. When you get a quote with us, we guarantee your price based on the accuracy of the details you’ve provided. You can get cash for your scrap car but we make the cash payment to you via a secure BACS transfer on the same day your car is collected. The money will hit your bank account before the end of the day, and it’s always the price we quoted at the time of booking.

How fast can scrap yards collect my car?

Since we always include free collection across the UK, most customers want their vehicles removed quickly and payment made promptly. Scrap yards will try and collect your car at the earliest possible time. However this can be dependent on the availability of the car transporter vehicles, their distance to you and seasonal peaks in demand. Our customer support team (available 7 days a week) will always try and give you an accurate estimate for when your scrap car will be collected.

How do we work with scrap yards?

Here at Scrap Car Comparison, we have whittled down the exhaustive list of ATFs to only the very best, and we’re here to do all the legwork of getting your car to the nearest yard as soon as possible. Following conversations with yourself, we will then pass on the details of your vehicle to our trusted and respected buyer, and once an agreed collection date is set in stone, they will come out to you, make their collection and transfer payment to you, always on the same day.