End Of Life Directive

An ELV is basically any vehicle that has come to the end of its useful life.
The main objectives of the Directive are to try and minimise the amount of waste generated from the ELV disposal process, whilst also reducing any adverse environmental impacts caused through current dismantling practices.

Vehicle de-pollution

This newly developed treatment process that all end-of-life vehicles must undertake if they are to achieve the required levels of materials recycling and recovery stipulated by the ELV Directive.

The process includes: The recovery of all positive components and fluids that may be recycled and re-used (e.g. fuels, oils, coolants, ferrous and non-ferrous metal components, etc). The removal of all those negative elements of a vehicle that are potentially harmful to the environment (e.g. tyres, mercury switches, airbags, etc).

Bailing for recycling

TCD also have new baler which is capable of baling 25 cars an hour. The compacted cars are then send off for recycling.

ELV’s can be divided into two categories

NATURAL ELV’s - This refers to a vehicle that has come to the end of its life due to natural wear and tear (usually vehicles over ten years old). This type of ELV will simply be de-polluted and then recycled for scrap metal.

PREMATURE ELV’s - This type of ELV refers to those vehicles that have come to the end of their life for unnatural reasons such as accident, fire, flood or vandalism damage. However, rather than be scrapped, the insurance companies will categorise and approve for these vehicles to be either dismantled for spare parts only or sold complete as damaged-repairable salvage.