| The public perception of the average UK scrap | | | | paramount. The amount of ongoing expenses for |
| yard is one of a dirty, oil covered, German | | | | licences and inspections means that if the business |
| Sheppard guarded no go zone. This image is not | | | | is not run well then licences cannot be bought and |
| totally unfair, as over the last four decades since | | | | fairly quickly it will have to close its gates. So we |
| the times of the TV series 'Steptoe and Son' | | | | have the newer bread of yards that are run |
| very little changed in the way these places were | | | | efficiently and any and every penny of profit and |
| run. The need to go there was alien to most of | | | | financial return is squeezed out of the dismantling |
| us as there was a local scrap man that had a flat | | | | process. |
| bed truck and came to take scrap away from | | | | The facility, as they are now more often known, |
| our houses for pennies and kept us separate | | | | is usually equipped with separate areas for storing |
| from these supposed dark and dangerous places. | | | | like metals, rubber, plastics and fluids. These, |
| The need for the German Sheppard came out of | | | | where possible, are sold for recycling. At this point |
| times when the value of scrap rose on the world | | | | the equation starts to make a bit more sense. If |
| markets along with the bull market in | | | | the incoming return for selling materials to |
| commodities, particularly the metals and the | | | | recycling processes is more than the cost of the |
| mining stocks. The world price for scrap rises and | | | | licences and overheads needed to provide the |
| falls as do all markets but these days the world | | | | yard, then the business has a reason to continue |
| of the dodgy back street scrap merchant is | | | | to try and achieve even better efficiency in its |
| becoming rarer, and that is due in no small part to | | | | dismantling process. When you add the extra |
| legislation set out by Europe and the UK | | | | income that might be derived from the sale of |
| government. These days there are 'licences' for | | | | second hand parts one can see the business |
| almost every part of the scrapping procedure. A | | | | model that has to be followed to be viable. |
| licence to remove vehicles, a licence to store old | | | | So next time you see a brand new, high quality |
| vehicles, a licence to dismantle old vehicles and a | | | | sign saying 'vans wanted' or find a second hand |
| licence to dispose of the more hazardous | | | | van spares website in your search to find van |
| components and fluids of old vehicles. These | | | | parts to fix your van remember that this is, in no |
| 'licences' cost money and as such can be | | | | small part, an industry that now exists because of |
| considered a tax on the process of vehicle | | | | the pressure to re-use and recycle coming from |
| dismantling and disposal. | | | | people and governments alike. This is something |
| So we have an industry that has had to move | | | | of a success in the gloomy world of climate |
| into a new era of cooperation, transparency and | | | | change and the perception that nothing changes. |
| self-regulation. This is not a bad thing in fact one | | | | It does, but sometimes the shift in consciousness |
| of the main and immediate effects has been the | | | | can only happen after the profit margin exceeds |
| reduction in contaminated ground and ground | | | | the taxes. Show a man a new way of living and |
| water around scrap yards and vehicle dismantling | | | | he may say no thanks, show a man a new way |
| yards. The need for any scrap yard to make a | | | | of living that will also increase his bank account |
| profit in this newly regulated environment is | | | | and he may be more inclined to make the change. |