More than a million cars are reaching landfill sites with harmful oils, tyres and airbags still intact. This goes against the End of Life Vehicle Regulations which came into force in 2003, requiring cars to be properly de-polluted and recycled at licensed Authorised Treatment Facilities. The problem occurs through a loophole in DVLA records. A tick box on the V5 registration form means that last owners, including dismantlers and shredders, can simply de-register a vehicle, rather than paying road tax right up until a CoD is obtained from a licenced dismantler. The result is un-licensed operators can ransack valuable scrap materials and then dump untreated waste without any consequence for them or the last registered keeper. "This is a serious - and potentially dangerous - problem," commented Jay Nagley of CleanGreenCars. "The rules were set up to ensure car makers worked with the recycling industry to improve recovery rates, cut down on pollution and end illegal car dumping. But the reality is that DVLA records - and a system poorly policed by the Environment Agency - have become weak links in the chain". More information can be found at www.cleangreencars.co.uk

Share this article: What is this?