Britain's Cars Not Recycled Because of Loophole
by Matthew Sparkes, London, UK on 05. 1.07
Parts from up to 1.3m cars were illegally disposed in the UK because of a legal loophole, according to the Guardian. In the UK, car owners must dispose of cars at a registered decontamination centre, which charge a fee. However, an EU report estimates that only a third of cars are properly disposed of in this way. Offending owners should be fined, but a loophole in the law means that no proof of recycling is required. People can simply tick a box and pretend that they disposed of their car properly.
Consequently, car parts often find their way into landfills, despite the fact that they contain hazardous waste such as mercury. The EU report praises Holland and Sweden, but claims the UK has the worst figures for recycling car parts.
Chris Davies, MEP, said "This is a great environmental law that will cut pollution from old cars and increase recycling of cars across the EU ... but the government has failed to establish proper procedures." :: The Guardian
