Last February Parliament's Environment, Food and Rural Affairs Committee called on the government to “urgently re-examine” its proposal, which would see motor manufacturers setting up networks of Authorised Treatment Facilities to dismantle vehicles of their own marque or brand (see letsrecycle.com story).
Responding to the Committee this week, the government team responsible for implementing the European ELV Directive into UK law said that the own marque approach had the support of industry.
The government, led on this issue by the Department for Trade and Industry, said: “The 'own marque' approach to allocating responsibility for end of life vehicles is seen by the industry as a good expression of the policy of producer responsibility and of the polluter pays principle, both of which are supported by the government.”
The new regulations would encourage manufacturers to improve the recyclability and the efficiency of resource use in the design of their vehicles, the government said, with the gradual phasing out of hazardous materials.
The government told the committee that it had consulted on the new ELV regulations, but it admitted that it had not been able to find a way forward that was acceptable to both motor manufacturers and vehicle recyclers.
Consolidation
In its February report, the Committee had picked up on evidence provided by the British Metals Recycling Association that manufacturers would opt for only the largest vehicle dismantling firms, taking business away from smaller companies.
But in this week's response, the government said that consolidation in the ELV treatment sector was “inevitable” following the new environmental treatment standards called for by the European Directive.
It said: “It is unrealistic to expect that every business currently operating to lower standards than those required (by the Directive) will have the desire or wherewithal to invest to upgrade to the new standards.”
The DTI went on to add that properly licensed operators will welcome the closing down of illegal operators with the introduction of the new “Authorised Treatment Facility” status and the legal requirement for treatment facilities to issue Certificates of Destruction.for vehicles legally dismantled.
Abandoned vehicles
Addressing the Committee's concerns that the new ELV regulations would instigate a rise in abandoned vehicle numbers, the government said an increase “is a possibility, but by no means a certainty.”
The government said it is providing 25 million each year for local authorities over the next three years to counter the problem, but insisted that vehicle disposal costs was not the primary reason for last owners to abandon their vehicles.
It added: “The government is taking a number of initiatives to make it more difficult to abandon (an ELV) with relative impunity.”
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