Recycled engines blow to Scrappage

Scrapped engines are being resold to the public, defeating the object of the Government’s green initiative.

Auto Express has discovered that vehicle recyclers have been selling powerplants from models ditched under the Scrappage Scheme via salvage outlets – effectively putting the polluting units back on the road. What’s more, small print means they’re technically doing nothing wrong!

When these cars are part-exchanged at a dealer, they’re sent to an Authorised Treatment Facility (ATF) for disposal. But once a Certificate of Destruction (CoD) is issued – confirming the vehicle is permanently off the road – and all the fluids and pollutants have been removed, the ATF is free to dismantle and sell parts for spares.

Auto Express challenged the Department for Business, Innovation and Skills (BIS), which oversees the scheme. But it said the practice was “perfectly acceptable” – even though the industry has been keen to promote the environmental benefits of the initiative since its launch last year. “Scrappage never aimed to restrict the flow of parts to the second-hand sector,” explained a BIS spokeswoman.

Industry data suggests engine recycling isn’t helping cut CO2 output, however. Average emissions of new vehicles bought through the scheme are 133g/km – compared to 169g/km for the 13-year-old cars that are typically scrapped.

BIS said figures weren’t collected on the number of old engines that had been recycled. But one ATF boss in the north- west, who wanted to remain anonymous, told us he knew several rivals were doing it.

Not surprisingly, the practice has also been condemned by eco campaigners. Friends of the Earth’s Richard Dyer said: “The initiative should encourage drivers to replace older models with cleaner cars. This is keeping polluting vehicles on the road.”

More than 280,000 new cars were sold through Scrappage last year – more than 10 per cent of the two million UK total.