GWM Cars ELV Directive
Learn more about GWM Cars UK and the ELV Directive for vehicles at the end of their useful life.
What Is the ELV Directive?
The End-of-Life Vehicles (ELV) Directive aims to reduce waste and promote the reuse, recycling, and recovery of ELVs and their components. Simply put, it ensures that vehicles that have reached the end of their operational lifespan are disposed of with minimal environmental impact.
The ELV Directive mandates that all UK vehicle manufacturers and importers must:
- Accept qualifying vehicles they have placed on the market at the end of their useful life, ensuring responsible environmental disposal.
- Prohibit the use of hazardous substances (for new cars from 3rd November 2003, excluding essential components) such as Lead, Mercury, Cadmium, and Hexavalent Chromium.
- Meet recycling and recovery targets of 85% by weight in 2006 (with up to 5% energy recovery) and from 2015, a recycling and recovery target of 95% (including up to 10% energy recovery).
- Facilitate environmentally responsible disposal processes.
Qualifying Vehicle Criteria
- Be delivered to a manufacturer/importer-appointed free take-back facility.
- Be complete, containing all essential components such as the engine, transmission, bodywork, wheels, and catalyst (if originally fitted).
- Be free from additional waste, including household or garden waste, extra tyres, etc.
GWM Cars UK Take-Back Network
To comply with recycling and recovery targets, GWM Cars UK has partnered with Autogreen Limited under a long-term agreement to provide end-of-life vehicle services.
Autogreen operates a contracted network of take-back and Authorised Treatment Facilities (ATFs) across the UK, ensuring compliance with mandated reuse, recovery, and recycling targets.
- ATFs will accept any qualifying ELVs free of charge when presented by the last registered owner (with proof of ownership).
- Prior to 1 January 2007, free take-back applied only to vehicles registered on or after 1 July 2002.
- All Autogreen ATF partner sites meet DEFRA standards and hold Environmental Agency licenses.
- These sites use state-of-the-art recycling technology and are linked with the Driver and Vehicle Licensing Agency (DVLA) to de-register vehicles, issuing a unique Certificate of Destruction (COD) to the last owner.
The De-Pollution Process
The End-of-Life Vehicles (ELV) Directive aims to reduce waste and promote the reuse, recycling, and recovery of ELVs and their components. Simply put, it ensures that vehicles that have reached the end of their operational lifespan are disposed of with minimal environmental impact.
- Fluids and gases are drained.
- The battery, wheels, and tyres are removed.
- Airbags are neutralised (activated).
- Saleable parts will be removed and sold.
Following these steps, the vehicle is crushed and transported to a facility where it is shredded into small fragments. Separation techniques extract metals for recycling into new ferrous and non-ferrous materials.
Residual materials, known as shredder residue, undergo further processing to recover glass and other elements, which can be repurposed in applications such as road construction aggregates.
Disposal of Car Batteries
Under the Waste Batteries Regulation, automotive batteries cannot be sent to landfill or incinerated; they must be collected and recycled.
- As of 1 January 2010, GWM Cars UK is classified as a producer of automotive batteries, with obligations regarding their collection.
- Automotive batteries include those used for vehicle starters, lighting, and ignition.
- Businesses handling significant volumes of waste automotive batteries (e.g., garages, scrapyards, ATFs, Civic Amenity Sites) are entitled to free collection.
- Autogreen is the service provider for ELV and Waste Battery collection (www.autogreen.eu or 0800 542 2002).
- GWM Cars UK is not required to collect batteries from private vehicle owners, but householders can deposit waste automotive batteries at designated Civic Amenity Sites for free.
- For the nearest recycling facility, visit www.recycle-more.co.uk.
Disposal of Electric Vehicle (EV) Traction Batteries
With the increasing popularity of EVs, it is crucial to understand how to safely dispose of their batteries. These batteries, typically lithium-ion, require specialised handling due to their chemical properties.
- Under the Waste Batteries Regulation, EV traction batteries cannot be landfilled or incinerated and must be properly recycled.
- GWM Cars UK is designated as a producer of industrial batteries, with responsibilities for their collection.
- Businesses generating waste industrial batteries (e.g., garages, scrapyards, ATFs) are entitled to free collection.
- Autogreen manages ELV and waste battery collection (www.autogreen.eu or 0800 542 2002).
- Private customers must arrange disposal through an authorised GWM dealer, which can be found at GWM Cars UK Dealer Locator.
Dismantling Information
Since January 1999, manufacturers have collaborated with each other to develop the International Dismantling Information System (IDIS).
- IDIS provides dismantlers with detailed information on vehicle material composition, fluid drainage, pyrotechnic components, and necessary tools.
- The database is updated three times annually and is now web-based.
- For more information, visit www.idis2.com.
To dispose of your old GWM vehicle, contact Autogreen at 0800 542 2002 or visit www.autogreen.eu for details on the nearest ATF based on your postcode.
Portable Batteries
Manufacturers placing less than one tonne of portable batteries on the market annually have no collection, treatment, or recycling obligations.
However, thousands of free battery collection points exist in supermarkets (e.g., Currys, Poundland, Sainsbury’s, Tesco, Boots) as well as certain public buildings.