What happens
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The De-pollution Process
The first stage is to remove the battery in order to eliminate the risk of a spark.
The vehicle will then be taken to the de-pollution area.
Specialist equipment is used to drain the hazardous fluids found on the vehicle including:
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Engine oil and transmission fluid
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Windscreen washer fluid
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Engine coolant
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Power assisted steering fluid
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Brake fluid
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Shock absorber fluid
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Fuel
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Oil filters are removed and drained.
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If the vehicle is fitted with air conditioning, the refrigerant is recovered.
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The wheels are removed and the tyres are separated from the rims.
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Any hazardous materials such as switches identified as containing mercury or components containing asbestos are removed.
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If the vehicle has any pyrotechnic devices such as air bags or seat belt pre-tensioners these are either removed or deployed in situ.
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Once the de-pollution process has been completed the vehicle can be further processed at a shredder.
Recycling
All waste materials which have been recovered during the de-pollution process are stored securely in special containers. These materials are then collected by licensed waste management companies before being re-used, recycled or lawfully disposed of in line with environmental law.
Batteries
Lead acid batteries are largely made up of plastic (polypropylene) and lead. The casings are processed into new battery casings and the lead is recycled into new lead plates and other battery parts.
Oil Filters
Oil filters which have been collected from end of life vehicles are sent for processing to separate the metal from the oil. The resultant oil is processed along with other waste oil and the metal is recycled into new steel.
Tyres
Around 50 million waste tyres are produced each year of which approximately 70,000 tonnes originate from end of life vehicles.
There are already a number of alternatives in operation, ranging from the incineration of tyres in cement kilns and for energy recovery, the re-sale of part worn or re-treaded tyres to the re-use of granulated tyres in sports surfaces and road construction.
Waste Oil
The majority of waste oils collected undergo heating to reduce the water content followed by filtration to remove solids and particulate material.
The resultant product is used as a fuel in industries such as power generation, metal smelting, mineral drying, brick making and road construction.
Brake Fluid
Brake fluid is a complex chemical product which undergoes only minor degradation in service and generally only fails to meet performance requirements because of its hydroscopic properties, i.e. it absorbs moisture.
Waste brake fluid is carefully collected and stored separately in order for specialist recyclers to restore it to its original specification.
Water
The management of engine coolants, which are an aqueous solution containing approximately 40% of glycols and smaller amounts of anti-corrosion additives, poses considerable difficulties.
Recovery of glycol by distillation is in most cases uneconomic but the search for ways to recycle this material continues.
Fuel
In the near future we expect to be able to send both petroleum & diesel for reuse and recovery although whether these fuels will be fully accepted back into the automotive fuel chain remains to be seen due to the quality and quantity of the material.