MG Rover signs 10-year ELV contract with Cartakeback

The vehicle producer has signed a 10-year agreement with Cartakeback to provide MG Rover last owners with a free take back service from January 2007.

” We now look forward to working with Cartakeback to ensure the actual re-use/recovery performance of our vehicles moves from the current levels of around 77% to the new legislated targets.“
– Rob Oldake, MG Rover
As well as meeting the environmental protection standards of the ELV Regulations, the company said its standards for vehicle treatment would “reflect further operational and customer service quality requirements not stated in the regulations”.

Under the regulations, MG Rover must ensure last owners do not have to drive their end of life vehicles (ELVs) more than 30 miles to dispose of them, while 75% of last owners should not have to drive more than 10 miles.

Once collected the ELVs will be recycled, with vehicle producers ultimately responsible for their contracted facilities reaching recycling targets set by the European ELV Directive (see letsrecycle.com report).

The network of collection points and authorised treatment facilities provided by Cartakeback for MG Rover will develop throughout 2005, the company said.

Targets
Rob Oldake, MG Rover product development director, said: “We now look forward to working with Cartakeback to ensure the actual re-use/recovery performance of our vehicles moves from the current levels of around 77% to the new legislated targets of 85% in 2006 and 95% in 2015.”

MG Rover's deal with Cartakeback also covers brands such as Austin, Morris, Triumph, Wolseley, Riley, and the original Mini. MG Rover believes it has 2 million vehicles on the road, and is expecting about 200,000 ELVs of its brands to arise each year from 2007.

Cartakeback Ltd is a subsidiary of UK Shredders Ltd, backed by a group of independent metals recyclers. MG Rover is the second manufacturer to sign with Cartakeback following Ford's announcement last week (see letsrecycle.com story).

The DTI's head of vehicle recycling policy, Steve Norgrove, will be on hand to explain the new ELV Regulations at a free seminar at the Stoneleigh Live exhibition in Coventry on March 15th. More details at the Stoneleigh Live website.