Legislation required for car recycling

Scrappage laws are to be introduced on new vehicles which will mean that all cars will be given a “death certificate” and dismantled for recycling.

It will mean that cars are disposed of in regulated facilities instead of randomly dumped.
The Scrap Car Regulation says that scrapyards and recycling centres will have to be funded by the motor industry. It added that car owners must not be charged for bringing vehicles for disposal.
Environment Minister Dick Roche brought in a scrappage scheme for electronic items in 2005. This is also industry-funded and imposes no disposal fees on customers.

The law requires that the cost must be labelled an “environmental management cost” (EMC). It should also be stated on the price tag along with the usual retail price.
The Scrap Car Regulations make no such provisions. This means that the consumer may well be paying for the cost without knowing it.

A Department of Environment spokesman denied, however, that costs would be passed on to the consumer.
“There is nothing to suggest the motor industry will pass the costs on to the consumer. The cost is nominal in the overall scheme of things and there is money to be made from the scrap metal so I don’t think it should become a burden on the consumer,” he said.