TWO WEEK WINDOW TO GET RID OF UNWANTED OLD CARS – FREE

A two week amnesty for the free disposal of cars that have reached the end of the road starts later this month throughout Hampshire.

From 17-30 January, all councils in Hampshire, working within the Project Integra partnership, have signed up to a campaign meaning that any unwanted vehicles handed over during that period will be collected and disposed of without charge. The campaign, devised by ENCAMS, the national charity behind the ‘Keep Britain Tidy’ campaign, has urged all local authorities around the country to get involved.

The Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs (Defra) estimates that nationally almost 300,000 vehicles are abandoned every year, which not only costs local authorities money, but can also cause environmental problems with air, soils and water pollution.  During the two week amnesty, cars handed over will be taken directly to an Automated Treatment Facility (ATF), where they will be depolluted and disposed of in accordance with the latest regulations.

As with other types of household rubbish, local district and borough councils are responsible for the collection (or removal) of abandoned vehicles, with the County Council responsible for their storage and disposal (Portsmouth and Southampton unitary authorities do both).  Research by ENCAMS has found that free collection systems work well as the cost of storing vehicles is eliminated. Hampshire is noted as an area of good practice as some districts are already operating a free collection system, and some will continue to do so after the amnesty has ended.

Councillor Roland Dibbs, Chairman of the Project Integra Management Board, said: “This campaign is an excellent way to raise awareness of the problem of abandoned vehicles, and I am very pleased that every one of the Hampshire authorities will be involved. I hope that owners of vehicles that have reached the end of their life take advantage of this free offer.”

For more details about the scheme in your area or to get your vehicle collected, please contact the relevant local authority on the number from the list below. For further details about the national amnesty, see www.encams.org.

Ends

Note to editors

Details about the scheme are available from each local authority in Hampshire. Please call the appropriate number from the list below.

 
For more information, please contact:

Paul Laughlin
Communications Officer, Waste Management, Hampshire County Council

Tel: 01962 846629
paul.laughlin@hants.gov.uk

17 January 2005

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