FAQ’s

These FAQ’s are here to help our customers understand the process as implemented by www.End-of-lifevehicles.com with respect to the preservation of our environment and the part you play!

  1. What is GreenVehicleDisposal.com ?
  2. What are the basic steps in the end-of-life vehicle treatment process?
  3. Why visit www.GreenVehicleDisposal.com or call 1-877-End Of Life?
  4. What is the End Of Life Vehicles (ELV) directive?
  5. How does it affect me?
  6. How will I know my vehicle is being taken to an Authorized Treatment Facility?
  7. What is an Authorized Treatment Facility (ATF)?
  8. What happens at an Authorized Treatment Facility (ATF)?
  9. What is de-pollution?
  10. What is a Certificate of Destruction or Certificate of Deregistration?
  11. What documents do I need to dispose of my vehicle at GreenVehicleDisposal.com?
  12. Can I remove anything from the car before it is disposed of?
  13. What happens to my ownership/title?
  14. What is Duty of Care?
  15. How does it affect me?
  16. Why should I comply?
  17. How do I comply?
  18. How do I find my nearest GreenVehicleDisposal.com affiliate?
  19. How long after I request a vehicle pick up, will my vehicle be removed?
  20. Do I get paid anything for my vehicle?
  21. Do I have to pay to get my vehicle picked up?
  22. What happens if I forgot to remove a personal item from my vehicle and it has already been picked up?
  23. If my car has been impounded, do I have to pay the impound fees before you tow it?
  24. What if I do not have the title/ownership for my vehicle? The car was given to me years ago, I have since lost all paperwork.
  25. What if I have plans to be out of town when my vehicle needs to be picked up?
  26. Can my vehicle be picked up after regular business hours?
  27. When can I book an appointment?
  28. Can you give me an exact price before your tow truck arrives here?
  29. Do I have to be there at the time of pick up?
  30. Does my vehicle need to have all four tires/wheels in order to be towed?
  31. Why should I choose GreenVehicleDisposal.com as opposed to regular auto recycling facilities?

1. What is GreenVehicleDisposal.com?
North America’s first harmonized solution aimed toward the proper treatment of End Of Life Vehicles.

2. What are the basic steps in the end-of-life vehicle treatment process?
Our aim is to systematically reduce or eliminate the amount of waste produced by End Of Life Vehicles made possible by our affiliates extensively covering areas all over North America. We hope to have affiliates covering every possible area in North America, so that whenever there is a vehicle that has come to the end of its useful life, one of our affiliates will be able to pick it up and dispose of it accordingly. The process involving the treatment of End Of Life Vehicles includes:
a. The removal of the battery for safety reasons.

b. The draining and adequate containment of fluids. These include fuel, engine oil, transmission fluid, engine coolant, and windshield washer fluid.

c. The recovery of refrigerant.

d. The removal of wheels.

e. Separation of tires.

f. The removal of hazardous materials, such as Mercury switches.
3. Why visit www.GreenVehicleDisposal.com or call 1-877-End Of Life?
We ensure End OF Life Vehicles are disposed of in an efficient manner, meeting all legislated requirements, thereby contributing to the future stability of the environment to be enjoyed by generations to come.

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4. What is the End Of Life Vehicles (ELV) directive?
On October 21 2000, the End Of Life Vehicles directive was enacted, all member states of the European Union were to have enacted their own legislative documents by April 21 2002 that met all criteria as outlined by the directive.
The European Union ELV Directive requires member states to:
i. Ensure that all End Of Life Vehicles are treated only by Authorized Treatment Facilities. ii. Make provisions for the free take-back of all vehicles put on the market after 2002.
iii. Make provisions for the free take–back of all vehicles put on the market before 2002.
iv. Significantly, reduce the use of heavy metals in the production of new vehicles from July 2003.
v. Ensure an 85% reuse or recovery rate (including energy recovery) with at least 80% reused or recycled. By 2015, 85% must be reused or recycled.
Moreover, the directive stipulates that:

  • Vehicle producers limit or significantly reduce the use of hazardous substances in the production of new vehicles, vehicle components and actively pursue and promote the recyclability of their vehicles.
  • End Of Life Vehicles must go through process of de-pollution before dismantling, recycling and disposal.
  • ATF’s must operate at higher environmental standards and must be accredited.

The directive is extensive in that it also requires the ‘de-pollution’ or treatment of these vehicles before they can be recycled. This involves the removal of fluids such as gas, diesel, engine oil and anti-freeze, as well as other items such as batteries, air bags and mercury bearing components and catalysts.

5. How does it affect me?
When a vehicle is processed by a facility that does not practice the guidelines as carried out by GreenVehicleDisposal.com, fluids and hazardous materials are not removed in an environmentally friendly manner. GreenVehicleDisposal.com aims to help give direction to consumers who need to dispose of their End Of Life Vehicles and will do so by making our network available to everyone who has an End Of Life Vehicle to dispose of. Usually when a car has come to the end of its useful life it is taken to an auto recycler/wrecker.

A dismantler, removing any parts that may be sold for reuse as well as environmentally harming materials such as fluids and batteries, then strips this vehicle. The remainder of this vehicle is then sold to a shredding operation. At these “shredders”, the hulk of the vehicle is broken down into much smaller pieces. This is where the separation of ferrous and non-ferrous metals takes place. Although the percentage of recycled End Of Life Vehicles is currently much higher than any other consumer product, 408,000 tons of material ends up at landfill sites every single year.

The materials that contribute to this include plastics, rubber, glass, dirt, carpet fibers and seat foam, the composition of the above-mentioned materials is more commonly known as Automotive Shredder Residue (ASR). The overall aim of this objective is to reduce Automotive Shredder Residue (ASR), in effect, sustaining the environment in which we all inhabit.

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6. How will I know my vehicle is being taken to an Authorized Treatment Facility?
The End Of Life Directive states provisions must be made for the collection of End Of Life Vehicles waste used parts. This is what GreenVehicleDisposal.com specializes in, the management of End Of Life Vehicles. Not only do we pick up your End Of Life Vehicle, we also ensure that End Of Life Vehicles are taken to ATF’s where the deregistration, draining of fluids and dismantling of all End Of Life Vehicles takes place.

Priority is given to those materials that can be reused or recycled such as tires, batteries, etc. Once a vehicle has been deregistered, a COD is produced for the customer that certifies their vehicle will be disposed of by an accredited ATF, adhering to environmental and government legislation. You will know your vehicle has been taken to an ATF because it will be deregistered into the auto recyclers name.

7. What is an Authorized Treatment Facility (ATF)?   Authorized Treatment Facility
For the appropriate handling of End Of Life Vehicles to ensue, these vehicles must be taken to accredited ATF’s. Such vehicles include passenger or light goods vehicles up to 3500kg, three wheeled motorized vehicles. Authorized Treatment Facilities administer the proper draining of fluids and the removal hazardous materials, meeting all of GreenVehicleDisposal.com’s regulations.

8. What happens at an Authorized Treatment Facility (ATF)?
This process is known as de-pollution and involves the draining and recovery of hazardous fluids and materials within a vehicle, to prepare a vehicle for dismantling and recycling. The de-pollution process takes approximately 15-20 minutes to complete.

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9. What is de-pollution?
See question 2.

10. What is a Certificate of Destruction or Certificate of Deregistration?
A Certificate Of Destruction or Deregistration can only be given to our customers following the pick up of their vehicle by one of our accredited Authorized Treatment Facilities (ATF’s). This certificate provides the assurance to our customers that their vehicle will be treated and disposed of in an appropriate manner and also that it will be de-registered and taken out of their name by their local Department of Motor Vehicles.

11. What documents do I need to dispose of my vehicle at GreenVehicleDisposal.com?
Ownership/Title (see local requirements as specific to your area).

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12. Can I remove anything from the car before it is disposed of?
You may remove some parts like a radio or floor mats if you desire. But remember, if you do not have any immediate use for these products, it may be in your best interests to leave them in your vehicle. If you desire to keep your tires please contact your local End Of Life Vehicle member for specific rules as they apply to your area.

13. What happens to my ownership/title?
You will turn over your ownership/title at the time of pickup to your Affiliate Member (signing the appropriate place as seller). They will turn the ownership/title into YOUR area’s government agency that deals with Vehicles and Transportation. The ownership/title will be taken out of your name and will be put into the Authorized Treatment Facilities’ name.

14. What is Duty of Care?
A requirement of the Environmental Protection Act in North America which states individuals have a legal responsibility to take measures that ensure waste tires are stored safely and securely and/or transferred only to those parties authorized to handle them.

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15. How does it affect me?
It states that those involved in this business are to ensure tires are handled in an appropriate manner and only take tires that cannot be sold to appropriate tire recycling facilities provided they meet all government requirements. When disposing of tires especially, please ensure they are taken to government approved facilities.

16. Why should I comply?
It is your environmental and social responsibility.

17. How do I comply?
Check the registration certificate of those handling your used/waste tires before handing them over.

18. How do I find my nearest GreenVehicleDisposal.com member?
By calling 1-877-End Of Life or visiting www.GreenVehicleDisposal.com (see our EOL Member search).

19. How long after I request a vehicle pick up, will my vehicle be removed?
Usually 24 to 48 hours. However, you may request a certain day or time, depending on your affiliate.

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20. Do I get paid anything for my vehicle?
Individual scrap markets in North America dictate whether or not End Of Life Vehicles are of any monetary worth. The scrap market fluctuates and therefore each GreenVehicleDisposal.com affiliate member will price vehicles according to their own unique steel market prices in their specific area.

21. Do I have to pay to get my vehicle picked up?
If the cost of disposing the vehicle including all handling and de-pollution expenses exceeds the value of the scrap metal recovered, you may be asked to pay a nominal processing fee.

22. What happens if I forgot to remove a personal item from my vehicle and it has already been picked up?
Contact your local affiliate directly (by entering the appropriate extension # from our toll free line); depending on length of time vehicle is held, hopefully it can be retrieved. We will do everything we can to ensure you retrieve your personal items.

23. If my car has been impounded, do I have to pay the impound fees before you tow it?
Yes, all impound fees must be paid/processed prior to GreenVehicleDisposal.com picking up your vehicle. It must be stipulated that GreenVehicleDisposal.com does not pay impound fees.

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24. What if I do not have the title/ownership for my vehicle?
The car was given to me years ago, I have since lost all paperwork. GreenVehicleDisposal.com requires a title/ownership for all vehicles picked up. However, certain states do not require titles. For those that do, a duplicate is an option that may require a small fee from your local Department of Motor Vehicles. The title/ownership must be free of liens.

25. What if I have plans to be out of town when my vehicle needs to be picked up?
Owners do not necessarily have to be present at the time their vehicle is being picked up. However, the signed title/ownership and keys must be there. With regard to who the affiliated tow truck driver should see in this case, whether it be a neighbor, friend or relative, this needs to be agreed upon by you and your affiliate.

26. Can my vehicle be picked up after regular business hours?
Most affiliates have no problem scheduling outside of regular business hours as they try to operate accommodating to our customers needs; however, this depends solely on each individual affiliate. Be sure to ask your representative at your nearest GreenVehicleDisposal.com affiliate.

27. When can I book an appointment?
When you call 1-877-End Of Life or e-mail a pick up request at www.GreenVehicleDisposal.com , one of our customer service representatives will ask you what the best date and time for the pick up of your vehicle based on your schedule. If you need to specify an exact time and/or date, please let your representative know at the time of contact, they will be more than happy to accommodate your request.

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28. Can you give me an exact price before your tow truck arrives here?
Exact payouts and/or charges for vehicle pick up may be given at the time of pick up request. However, due to circumstances unique to each individual Authorized Treatment Facility, we may not be able to provide this information precisely. Likewise, the prices offered for vehicles vary depending on the local scrap market as well as other factors. In these cases, an approximate figure may be given, but remember, these figures are not exact. Please check out your closest affiliate for more exact pricing information.

29. Do I have to be there at the time of pick up?
No, customers of GreenVehicleDisposal.com do not need to be present at the time of pick up. However, certain items, such as keys and ownership/title are required at the time of pick up. Please be sure to make arrangements for these items prior to pick up time and date, for example, leave them with a neighbor, in the glove box, etc., if you will not be present at the time of pick up.

30. Does my vehicle need to have all four tires/wheels in order to be towed?
No, many of our affiliates are equipped with not only tow trucks, but also flat bed trucks and dollies. If your vehicle is missing a tire (s) be sure to let your affiliate know prior to pick up so they are better equipped in meeting your needs.

31. Why should I choose GreenVehicleDisposal.com as opposed to regular auto recycling facilities?
We offer competitive rates for vehicle towing or free towing and our customers can rest assured knowing that their End Of Life Vehicles go to a better place.

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Need more help?
For any questions left unanswered, please email our Help Center.