If you’ve searched “scrap my car in Herts” or “scrap my car for cash near me”, you’ll likely get a number of results, but knowing which is legitimate, honest, reputable and reliable isn’t easy if you’re not familiar with the London scrap car industry.  There’s more to it than you’d think and at UKCarMovement, as one of the best car scrapping services in Essex, London and Herts, we’re going to tell you what to look for and why.

ATF Permits

Firstly, if you see the letters ATF, don’t dismiss them.   These three little letters are very important when it comes to scrapping a car in Hertfordshire – or anywhere else for that matter!  They stand for an “Authorised Treatment Facility”.  That means the scrapyard that you’re considering is a legitimate, certified business so you can entrust your scrap car in London to them, with confidence.   It refers to environmentally friendly recycling and is an official term that relates to recycling old, irreparable or broken cars.  At UKCarMovement, we hold an “ATF Permit” and we’re fully licensed to do what we do, by our region’s Environment Agency.  Our car scrapping service in London carefully dismantles car parts and recycles what we can, destroying anything that we are unable to recycle in a careful, safe way so as not to harm the environment.  It is really important that you choose an ATF registered scrapyard for your van scrapping in London because then you know your vehicle is being treated in an environmentally friendly way, rather than just piling up on landfill emitting poisonous gases into the atmosphere and harming human, animal and marine life.

The Authorised Treatment Facility Standards

DEFRA (Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs) is a government office that solely works on protecting our world.   The ATF standards are set by this department and make sure that cars, vans and bikes that are scrapped in Herts, London and Essex are done so according to the rules and regulations.   You can see a copy of those rules here, the bottom line is that cars, bikes, motorbikes and other vehicles must be recycled in a responsible manner that adheres to the UK’s laws.

End of Life Vehicle Regulations

These rules and regulations relate to any vehicle that is going to be scrapped, up to a weight of 3,500 kg.  They were put into place back in 2003 to prevent the landfill problem mentioned above and the carbon emissions problem.  One of the criteria is that scrap vehicles in London must be depolluted before they’re destroyed.  So, as an ATF registered scrapyard, at UKCarMovement we have to remove the tyres, the battery, any harmful fluids or anything else that cannot be recycled.  An ATF is the only place where this type of car stripping can take place and an authorisation is imperative. There is another criteria attached to the law, which was introduced in 2005 and relates to vehicle manufacturers and vehicle importers.   These businesses have to have national networks of Authorised Treatment Facilities and offer a take back service for free – for their own vehicle make.  It has been law since 2015 that those vehicle manufacturers and vehicle importers must reuse and recycle 95% of the weight of vehicles that they take back.   So, by using an ATF registered scrapyard in Essex, Herts or London, you’re playing your part in protecting the world that we live in.

Certificate of Destruction

There is another important aspect to ATF registration.   Scrapyards that hold this authorisation will always issue you with a COD (Certificate of Destruction) once you scrap your car with their service.  These certificates are very important because they serve as proof that your car was destroyed, rather than sold on, you are therefore not responsible for that car anymore and the COD will trigger vehicle deregistration.  Don’t be fooled by other scrap car merchants in Herts who say that they will scrap your car for you – but they don’t hold ATF registration.  It is fairly likely that they are operating illegally, will take your car and sell it on so you won’t get as much of the profit as you should.  They also won’t issue you with a Certificate of Destruction, so if they do sell your car on and it’s caught speeding, gets a road ticket or worse still, has an accident, you could be held liable because there’s no proof that you got your car scrapped in Herts.

Always Compliant!

Once a scrapyard has obtained ATF status, it is still obligated to operate in accordance with DEFRA.  The Environment Agency does perform spot checks and regularly monitors ATF scrapyards in London – and everywhere else.  Those checks inspect staff, facilities and the scrapping process to make sure everything is done correctly.  The right hygiene and disposal procedures must be in place and if it is not done so, a scrapyard could lose its status.

Great Quotes, Free Collection and Delivery

So, if you are considering using a scrapping service in Herts that doesn’t hold that all-important authorisation, at UKCarMovement, we urge you to reconsider.  Don’t just type in “Sell my car for scrap near me”, think twice! Our service is highly reputable, reliable and we’re super-honest.  We’ll always give you the best possible scrap car prices in Herts and we’ll make sure that we transfer your money on the same day as scrapping.   We can arrange FREE contactless collection and delivery from any address in London, Essex and Herts (just leave us your keys and log-book).  Once we’ve scrapped your car, we’ll issue you with your Certificate of Destruction for your records.  You’ll love our service!  If you’re ready to get a quote, simply click here and see what you could receive.   Want to find out about car scrap prices in Essex?  Click here for the latest best scrap car prices today and find out where to scrap “my” car near me!