What is an ATF?

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What does ATF stand for and what do they do?

ATF stands for Authorised Treatment Facility that are monitored by the Environment Agency (EA) to make sure scrapyards are licensed and comply with the rules and safety regulations relating to scrap motor vehicles.

The first thing an ATF has to do is de-pollute your car.  Scrapyards have to take out all the fluids and dispose of them in a proper manner.  Illegal sites tend to pour then into rivers or the like, which can affect the water supply and peoples health.  Anyone found taking this action by the EA is treated with severely, usually prosecuted and fined heavily.  There have been some cases where custodial sentences have been handed down by the courts for this crime.

what is an atf

Scrapping a car at an Authorised Treatment Facility

Next scrapyards will remove any parts that are re-usable, engines and gearboxes being very sought after on the second hand market.  There are many millions of tyres recycled every year and the rubber used for such things as the soft surfaces in children’s playground.

Once everything thing has been removed and there is just the metal shell left, this will be crushed and sent to recycling centre for metals.  To manufacture any type of metal from scratch is expensive and time consuming.  Recycling old metal is quicker and cheaper and much more environmentally friendly.  It is not just the metal from cars that these centres deal with.  Scrapyards have old household items, old machinery and anything else made of metal.  Scrapyards shred it, sort it and sell it on to the appropriate manufacturers.

The EU directives say that 85% of a scrap car should be recycled, and in the UK most of the time that is more than achieved.

Getting your car to an ATF

The easiest way to get your car to an ATF is to let National Scrap Car take it for you.  We will not only take it there, we will pay you for the privilege.

Using the services of a car scrapper like National Scrap Car is really easy, people who have not used our services before are often surprised at how simple it is.  You make a phone call and someone turns up, pays you and takes the old car away.  That is a very simplistic way of saying it, but it is basically what happens.

  1. You call 0800 86 20 958 and speak to one of our friendly, knowledgeable advisors who will take the details about your car and find the best price available for it.  If you are happy with the price, the scrapyard will guarantee it and arrange collection.
  2. We arrange for one of our collectors to go to wherever you want, whenever you want to collect the vehicle free of charge, and for them to pay you the price we have quoted.
  3. Scrapyards will help complete all the required paperwork for DVLA to ensure that you are no longer responsible for the car.  If it is needed, they will issue a certificate of destruction so that DVLA know the car has been scrapped.
  4. Then all the scrapyard needs to do is physically remove the car, which they will do as quickly and efficiently as possible.

So in a matter of just a few days, the old vehicle that has been sitting on your drive for some time, could only be removed and taken to an ATF, but you could have extra cash in your pocket as well.  Not a bad deal from National Scrap Car.