What Happens to Your Car After It’s Scrapped?
12th Mar, 2025
Saying goodbye to your old car might feel like the end of the road, but in reality, it’s just the beginning of a new journey—just in a different form! The car scrapping process is more than just crushing metal; it involves careful recycling, disposal, and even repurposing of various materials. If you’ve ever wondered what happens to scrap cars, here’s an inside look at the entire process.
The First Step: Collection and Processing
Once your car is deemed no longer roadworthy and sent for scrapping, it is taken to an Authorised Treatment Facility (ATF). These government-approved centres ensure that the scrapping process meets strict environmental and safety regulations.
At the ATF, your car is logged into the system, and you’ll receive a Certificate of Destruction (CoD) to confirm it’s been scrapped legally. This document ensures that you are no longer responsible for the vehicle.
Draining Fluids and Removing Hazardous Materials
Before the vehicle is dismantled, all fluids are carefully drained. This includes engine oil, coolant, brake fluid, and even fuel. These substances are harmful to the environment and must be disposed of or recycled responsibly.
Hazardous components, such as the car battery and airbags, are also removed. Car batteries contain toxic chemicals and must be recycled separately, while airbags require careful handling due to their explosive charge.
Salvaging Usable Parts
Just because a car is scrapped doesn’t mean all its parts are useless. Many components can be reused or resold. Common parts that are salvaged include:
- Engines and gearboxes
- Alloy wheels
- Tyres
- Catalytic converters
- Interior components like seats and dashboard electronics
If these parts are in good condition, they may find a second life in another vehicle, reducing waste and making repairs more affordable for others.
The Shredding and Recycling Process
Once all the usable components are removed, the remaining shell of the car moves to the shredder. Here’s where things get intense! The car is crushed and shredded into smaller pieces to separate different materials for recycling.
This process ensures that metals like steel and aluminium are sorted and sent to manufacturing plants where they can be melted down and used to create new products, including new cars! On average, around 95% of a scrapped car is recycled, making it one of the most eco-friendly disposal methods available.
What Happens to Scrap Cars Beyond Recycling?
Not every car part gets melted down. Some components may be repurposed in creative ways. For example:
- Tyres can be turned into road surfacing material or playground flooring.
- Glass from windows and windscreens is recycled into new glass products.
- Plastics from dashboards and bumpers are processed into reusable materials for new car parts.
By ensuring these materials are properly handled, scrapping your car contributes to a sustainable cycle that reduces waste and conserves natural resources.
Scrap Your Car the Right Way
If you’re ready to scrap your car and want to ensure it’s handled responsibly, choosing a trusted provider is essential. Scrap Car Network makes the car scrapping process simple and hassle-free, while ensuring your vehicle is disposed of in an environmentally friendly way.
Want to know more about how the process works? Check out our guide on how to scrap a car legally.
Final Thoughts
So, what happens to scrap cars? They don’t just disappear—they get transformed! From salvaged parts to recycled materials, almost every bit of your old car finds a new use. Whether it’s becoming part of another vehicle or being turned into something entirely new, scrapping your car is an environmentally responsible choice that helps keep waste out of landfills and supports a circular economy.
If your car has reached the end of its journey, why not ensure it’s scrapped the right way? Get an instant quote with Scrap Car Network and start the process today.
