BMW says it is keen to be at the forefront of automotive recycling in the coming years as it prepares for new EU legislation that dictates that every vehicle scrapped after 2006 must be taken back at no charge from the last owner.

Whilst the situation is being seen as a burden in many quarters, the German automotive manufacturer says that is well prepared to handle the influx.

Recycling expert Guido Konn explained to Fleet News: "Being the first in the world to introduce structures for take-back and recycling in the early 1990s has certainly paid dividends."

"We have around 100 official dismantling facilities in Germany alone and a good network across other countries," he added.

Mr Konn says that cars will be meticulously stripped of all their apparatus.

"We also sell on all the wheels, tyres, hatchback doors, sunroof assemblies, mirrors and lamp assemblies that we reclaim. Catalytic converters represent the most profitable end of the business because all the precious metal they contain can be used again."

Now experts at BMW's RDC - a research and development facility that also doubles as a waste treatment centre - say that they are also well prepared to recycle the next generation of cars, including those running on hydrogen.

The challenge now is to continue to meet increasingly stringent emissions and fuel efficiency regulations, while simultaneously ensuring vehicles are easily recyclable.