Can you collect my car if it’s full of rubbish?

Our scrap partners will not remove a car that is full of rubbish or personal belongings – so, to make sure they don’t make a wasted journey, we would ask you to make sure the car is empty before it’s collected.

Don’t worry; we don’t expect the car to be valeted and looking like new! We appreciate that your car isn’t going to be in showroom condition – but our partner scrap yards simply do not have the means to empty waste or owner’s items from the car. 

What can you collect?

Since our scrap partners specialise in car parts, it’s usually okay if any of the components from the car are inside the vehicle – for instance, it’s not uncommon for wheel trims or spare wheels to arrive loose in the boot! If your car has been involved in an accident, you may end up putting bits of damaged bodywork in the car too – which is also fine. Generally speaking, if a component or part was originally supplied with the car, then it’s okay to stow it in the car when it makes its journey to the scrap yard.

Is it okay if the car comes with aftermarket components still installed?

In some cases, people fit aftermarket components and accessories to their car – but choose not to remove them when it’s time to have the car scrapped. Again, this is fine – but supplying the car with aftermarket components is unlikely to increase the price you’re quoted. 

What can’t be in the car?

Although no one will mind if there’s an odd carpark receipt still in the car when it’s collected, we do ask that you try to remove any rubbish – i.e. cans, coffee cups, food wrappers – as well as emptying the ashtrays. It’s worth checking the car for personal items too – as it’s not uncommon for our dismantlers to find phone chargers, sunglasses, and even the occasional sat nav that’s been overlooked! 

It might sound like our scrap partners are being fussy – but emptying the rubbish out of each car they receive would take a long time; increasing their running costs and reducing the amount they can offer for our customer’s vehicles. If you can quickly clear the rubbish from your car, we can make sure we continue to provide the very best prices for all scrap cars. 

Avoid wasted collection journeys

In the rare instance that someone does leave a lot of rubbish or personal belongings in the vehicle, our collection drivers may refuse to take the car – and may also charge for making a wasted journey. Many of our specialist scrap recovery partners are willing to travel for the makes and models they specialise in, so wasted journeys can be costly for all involved. 

Other related FAQs

Looking for more related content to this? We’ve picked a selection of related topics that you may find helpful

It’s illegal to sell a car with outstanding finance, so before you scrap a car you need to have paid off the outstanding finance amount. Technically, a car with outstanding finance is the lender’s property, not yours.

You can get in touch with your insurance company and cancel your cover after your car has been collected. If you cancel your insurance before collection, you’ll be breaking the law if you drive the car on a public road. -

Yes. Vehicle tax is no longer transferable from owner to owner – so, if you’re scrapping your car, we recommend that you get in touch with the DVLA soon after collection to reclaim any tax that may be owed.

No problem. A Certificate of Destruction (COD) can be issued to you when your car is scrapped, but you need to make us aware of this prior to collection.

Don’t worry – our scrap partners aren’t concerned about the condition of your car. Whether your vehicle is roadworthy – or badly damaged and in need of disposal; we’ll help you maximise the price you receive.

ATF stands for ‘Authorised Treatment Facility’ - another name for a scrap yard, breaker’s yard or vehicle dismantler that meets with strict government guidelines relating to the handling processing of End of Live vehicles.

Yes, our network of dismantlers can scrap vehicles that are registered in other countries. You’ll need to inform the governing body in the country that the car is from; usually by sending them the completed registration document.

When a car is no longer roadworthy, it still has some value. An Authorised Treatment Facility (ATF) will pay you the scrap value of your car, which could be well over a hundred pounds, depending on the model.

When a car is no longer roadworthy and needs to be scrapped, there’s probably a scrap dealer near you who will collect the car and pay you money for this. It’s easy to find a nearby scrapyard.

When a car is scrapped, any hazardous materials are removed, along with any parts considered harmful to the environment. Tyres will be removed for recycling, the car will then be crushed and separated into plastic, fibre and metal, and recycled.