Car Salvage

Hazardous Waste

The Environment Agency has finally clarified when an End of Life Vehicle (ELV) becomes waste. It has taken the sensible approach to motor insurance claims and decided that the critical time is when the insurer pays a settlement on the claim.
As a result, any vehicle being sold by the insurers salvage agent as category B (Break only) salvage, or dealt with as category A (scrap) must be issued with a Hazardous Waste Consignment Note if the vehicle moves from one salvage yard to another.

This also means that there are now greater restrictions on the export of these vehicles, good news for the hard pressed UK salvage yards struggling to compete with low cost operations outside of the UK?
I am sorry to bring bad news, waste regulations allow the export of ‘polluted’ vehicles to EU and OECD countries (OECD countries are – Canada, Mexico, USA, Korea, Japan, Australia and New Zealand), and this includes a lot of the Eastern European nations, so the export of this salvage is not limited to the extent that many would like to see.

Talking to many salvage owners and managers and there is no confidence in the enforcement of these rules and regulations, many are very frustrated at the increasing costs they see daily in their business, and the apparent ease that they believe the unlicensed and unregistered operators are continuing to purchase and process this type of salvage.

Bluecycle have an alternative, category B (break only) salvage is auctioned at www.bluecycle.com, and purchasers of category B salvage are restricted to UK based businesses that hold End of Life Vehicle permits or Waste Management Licences. Category B salvage purchased through the on-line auctions must be collected by licensed waste carriers and the vehicles will only be released when a copy of the Hazardous Waste Consignment Note has been handed to the Salvage Partner releasing the vehicle.
This level playing field sets Bluecycle apart from many other salvage agents in the UK, it means that all customers bidding on this type of motor salvage are all UK based holders of ELV permits, businesses who can complete the necessary Certificate of Destruction and who will also de-pollute the vehicle and process the scrap in a way that meets the current 85% recycling target detailed in the EU End of Life Vehicle Regulations.
Details of how to register with Bluecycle are on the web site (www.bluecycle.com).