By recycling end-of-life vehicles (ELVs), companies like Ecopart help prevent an incredible amount of waste, pollution, and environmental damage every year.
The Waste Hiding in Every Vehicle
An average car weighs around 1.3 to 1.5 tonnes — and much of that is recyclable:
- Steel & iron: 60–65% of the vehicle
- Aluminium, copper, and other metals: ~10%
- Plastics, glass, rubber: ~15%
- Fluids (oil, brake fluid, coolant, fuel): up to 10 litres
Car Recycling Saves Over 1 Million Tonnes of Waste in the UK Each Year
Over 1.5 million cars are scrapped annually in the UK, and around 95% of the vehicle’s materials can now be recovered or reused — equating to roughly 1 million tonnes of waste prevented every year.
Hazardous Waste: The Hidden Danger
Old cars contain hazardous substances that must be safely removed: engine oil, brake fluid, coolant, air conditioning gases, and lead-acid batteries. One litre of oil can contaminate up to a million litres of water if disposed of incorrectly. Ecopart, as a licensed ATF, follows strict de-pollution standards for every vehicle.
Ecopart’s Role in Reducing Waste in Northern Ireland
From our facility in Northern Ireland, Ecopart processes hundreds of vehicles every month, recovering and reselling reusable car parts, safely de-polluting and dismantling vehicles, and supplying reclaimed parts to local and international markets.
