Junkyards

The phenomenon of illegal scrapping of automobiles is one of the most silenced phenomena of environmental protection in Israel.

Why does it happen?

Among other reasons, it is due to the sizeable legislation gaps in Israel around the vehicle retirement policy, whose goal is to take old and damaged vehicles off the road. It is unclear what is the right way to handle the retired vehicles and whose responsibility it is. Unfortunately, there is currently inadequate systematic law enforcement over car dismantling sites. Consequently, only a small portion of vehicle scrappage in Israel transpire in regulated establishments that meet the Ministry of Environmental Protection standards.

Unlike other areas of recycling - where the manufacturers or importers are the ones that are legally responsible for recycling the waste after product consumption - in the recycling area of vehicle scrappage, no one establishment has such a responsibility. Hence, essentially, de facto, there is no legal requirement to recycle out-of-commission vehicles. The absence of such a requirement results in crime organizations taking over the retired vehicle scrappage industry. These crime organizations make capital out of the situation and turn the junkyard industry into easy money.

Not only is this unfortunate phenomenon a monetary medium for criminal organizations and outlaws, but it is also one of the most horrendous health hazards in the country for humans, wildlife, and vegetation alike. Businesses that scrap cars illegally cause severe pollution of the earth’s soil and groundwater through discharges of gasoline, oils, and other materials found in junkyards. Furthermore, the population living in the proximity of said junkyard sites also suffers damage from the polluted soil: they cannot avoid inhaling fumes of polluting materials and toxic gasses released into the open air during the dismantling process.

As soon as we comprehended the immense extent of the phenomenon, we decided to take it upon ourselves to expose and take measures against illegal junkyards operating in a criminal and hazardous way. The environmental damage starts from these illegal junkyards presently found in Israel and perpetuates by poor management of metals and oils that pollute the environment.

In the wake of the ever-increasing number of automobiles in Israel, illegal junkyards will do nothing but expand. They will perpetuate their operations and extend over other areas unless some law enforcement entity puts it to an end.