Information on the collection of end-of life vehicles in accordance with the End-of-Life Vehicles Regulations 2003 (SI 2003/2635) (as amended) and the End-of-Life Vehicles (Producer Responsibility) Regulations 2005/263 (as amended)
In England, Wales, Scotland and Northern Ireland, the collection of end-of-life vehicles is regulated by the End-of-Life Vehicles Regulations 2003 (as amended) and the End-of-Life Vehicles (Producer Responsibility) Regulations 2005 (as amended) (together, the “Regulations”). The Regulations originally implemented the Directive 2000/53/EC of the European Parliament and of the Council of 18 September 2000 on end-of life vehicles into UK law and have been retained (with minor amendments) following the departure of the UK from the European Union.
According to the Regulations, the last holder and/or owner is entitled to return their end-of-life vehicle to a designated collection or return centre or a recognised dismantling facility , which issues a certificate of destruction. This certificate is required to remove the vehicle from registration at the DVLA.
In order to simplify the collection of your end-of-life vehicle, smart maintains a nationwide network of recognised collection facilities. By returning your vehicle to our collection network, your vehicle will be disposed of in accordance with the law.
Please note that you are entitled to return your end-of-life vehicle exclusively to a recognised collection point, a recognised take-back centre or a recognised dismantling facility.
Owners may return their end-of-life vehicles to our collection network free of charge subject to the following conditions:
- The vehicle is a "smart" brand vehicle
- It is a category M1 vehicle (passenger vehicles with a maximum of eight seats in addition to the driver's seat) or a N1 vehicle (vehicles for the carriage of goods with a maximum weight of up to 3.5 tonnes).
- All essential parts or components, in particular the drivetrain (engine, transmission, etc.), chassis, bodywork, catalytic converter or electronic control units for vehicle functions are contained in the vehicle.
- There is no waste in the vehicle.
- The registration documents (vehicle registration certificate, registration certificate part II or a comparable registration document) are handed over.
Following handover of the end-of-life vehicle (and any registration documents if you have them) to one of our partners, you will receive a Certificate of Destruction confirming that the vehicle has been lawfully disposed of and properly recycled.. You will usually need this certificate to have your vehicle finally deregistered with the DVLA.
If you would like to return your end-of-life smart vehicle free of charge, please contact our collection network operator contact CarTakeBack on 0330 818 85 50, or at info@CarTakeBack.com.
You can find information about the return and collection points for your end-of-life vehicle on Scrap A smart Car With CarTakeBack - Official Recycling Partner.
The aforementioned information is for information purposes only and does not constitute legal advice.
Batteries
Battery recycling.
The landfilling and incineration of batteries has been banned in the UK since 2010 and all UK battery producers are legally required to be registered with the appropriate environmental regulator as part of a UK-wide initiative to increase the collection and recycling of automotive, industrial and portable batteries.
Automotive batteries.
As a producer of automotive batteries under the Waste Batteries and Accumulators Regulations 2009, we, Smart UK, are obliged to collect, free of charge and within a reasonable time, waste automotive batteries for treatment and recycling from final holders such as garages, scrap yards, end-of-life vehicle Authorised Treatment Facilities or civic amenity sites). We are required to do this in any calendar year we place new automotive batteries on the market.
If you require us to take back any automotive batteries, please contact us via your chosen Smart UK Showroom. We will agree the necessary arrangements for the collection, proper treatment and recycling of the waste automotive batteries.
Portable batteries.
For the purposes of the Waste Batteries and Accumulators Regulations 2009, portable batteries are sealed batteries which can be carried around without difficulty and which are neither automotive nor industrial batteries. These are often found in items such as car remotes, alarm controls, torches, mobile phones, MP3 players and calculators. These portable batteries can be recycled by taking them to your nearest Smart UK Showroom, where they will be collected. Other collection points are available at places such as large supermarkets and shops, DIY stores as well as civic amenity sites. To find your nearest recycling facilities for car batteries and portable batteries visit https://www.recycle-more.co.uk.
Electric & hybrid car batteries.
As of the 1st January 2010, any businesses which place industrial batteries, used in hybrid or electric cars, into the UK market have an obligation to arrange for the treatment and recycling of these batteries. As a producer of industrial batteries under the Waste Batteries and Accumulators Regulations 2009, we, Smart UK, produce Lithium-ion batteries. We are obliged to take back free of charge, waste industrial batteries supplied to an end user (for example, the person who last used the battery or an authorised waste disposal facility) for treatment and recycling. We are required to do this in any calendar year we place new industrial batteries on the market.
If you would like to recycle an electric vehicle battery or a hybrid battery, please contact your nearest Smart UK Showroom, whose staff will be able to assist you with recycling them.