How Car Scrap Services in Surrey Can Help the Environment

Published 16 June 2018

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4.6 from 19 Google reviewsAuthorised Treatment Facility, South Croydon

A silver Toyota Avensis loaded on the SSC recovery truck
Toyota Avensis, collected in Kingston

Over the last two years, reports of over 260,000 abandoned vehicles have been recorded around the UK which is costing taxpayers money, as well as causing environmental issues. Luckily, licensed car scrapping specialists are offering solutions which not only encourage people to use their services rather than dump vehicles at roadside but help to protect the environment too.

Here’s why vehicle scrapping experts such as Car Scrap Surrey are unsung environmental heroes.

Why Are People Dumping Their Cars?

In the last few years, the scrapping industry has dramatically changed, with less money being offered for scrap metal due to the importation of metal from other countries such as China. However, this has created another issue with motorists choosing to dump their cars, believing that because scrap vehicles are worth less money, they may even have to pay to have their car taken away. For those whose vehicles have become too costly, including the price of repairs after a breakdown, abandoning cars at sites around the country seems like the more viable option. Unfortunately, the number of these cases is dramatically increasing, creating environmental hazards and a colossal headache for local councils who spend hundreds of thousands of pounds clearing dumped vehicles from our roads.

How Car Scrap Services Protect the Environment

Dumped vehicles damage the environment, but historically, so did car scrapping. However, changes made to the law in 2005 mean that to scrap a car legally, an organisation must be registered as an Authorised Treatment Facility (ATF). This means it’s licensed by the Environmental Agency and meets specific requirements for sustainability, quality and acceptable practices, including investing in the right infrastructure to protect the environment. For example, there must be equipment on hand to process the hazardous materials which are released from the toxic metals in the car which were left the seep into the ground before new regulations came into fruition. Essentially, an ATF must dispose of all waste products using methods which don’t risk harming the environment or human health. Moreover, these are the only places which are legally allowed to scrap your car, and they ensure parts are recycled appropriately.

Get Paid to Scrap Your Car

Apart from the environmental benefits, choosing to scrap your car is one of the most hassle-free ways to dispose of your unwanted vehicle, and it wouldn’t be unusual to receive anywhere up to £150 from a licensed vehicle scrapping expert to do so. Some scrapping companies will even collect the car from your location for free and will issue you with the valid destruction notice you’ll need to confirm you no longer own the vehicle.

Let’s make dumped cars a thing of the past and protect the environment around us.

Here at Car Scrap Surrey, we’re an Authorised Treatment Facility, offering vehicle owners the chance to ensure their car or van is dealt with responsibly while meeting all your car recycling needs. Call us now on 020 8406 4181 to speak to our team and receive a free quote, finding out how much your scrap vehicle is worth.

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Any make, any condition. If it has wheels or it’s metal, we’ll take it.

  • Cars
  • Vans
  • Non-runners
  • MOT failures
  • Crash damage
  • Motorbikes
  • Caravans
  • 4x4s
  • Scrap metal
  • Catalytic converters

What people say about Rick

4.6 from 19 reviews on Google

“Great service, easy, friendly and efficient. I helped an elderly friend to scrap her old car from an awkward location with limited access. The car had a seized clutch so couldn't move under it's own power, or so I thought, but Rick had an impressive trick to get it moving, and it took barely 5 seconds to get it down the drive and straight up onto his flat-bed truck. A sight to behold!!”
Stephen D., Google review
“Professional, Courteous and Quick. Rang on a Monday for a Weds pickup (which suited me), I'm sure pick up could have been same day if I had wanted it. Rick arrived exactly when he said. Good price received and car put onto pick up, V5 all completed and car gone within 5 mins. Rick we a joy to deal with. I would thoroughly recommend Rick and SSC...”
Michael K., Google review
“So impressed with how quickly everything was sorted! We had a lot of scrap metal left over from building work and Ricky was here in a flash. No problem with anything at all, he just took everything. Saved us so much effort than having to go to the dump, and we got some money too!”
Karen M., Google review

Genuine reviews from our Google Business Profile, checked weekly (last updated 23 October 2026). Read all reviews

Got a car to scrap?

Or ring 020 8406 4181 or 07716 551934 – we’re open 24 hours a day, 7 days a week.