Recalled and defective airbags pose a serious safety and compliance risk for UK vehicle recyclers, particularly when Takata inflators are involved. Airbag Disposal UK says ATFs must improve identification, compliant storage, and specialist disposal, rather than reselling suspect airbags or deploying them on-site with inadequate tools.
Ben Clarke, Owner of Airbag Disposal UK, discusses the scale of airbag recalls, the risks posed by defective inflators, and why the UK auto recycling sector needs a clearer, safer and more compliant approach to identifying, storing and disposing of recalled airbags.
The scale of the recall challenge
I’ve taken a snapshot over the last few years to give you a blanket overview of the numbers we are seeing. Post Covid January 2022 to December 31st 2025 (4 full years). We have received and treated 3.2m airbags. This is an average of 810K per year or 67.5K per month. We work with every major manufacturer /importer of vehicles and have long-standing relationships with them to treat this particular waste stream legally and compliantly within our Environment Agency-approved facility.
Recalls are dealt with at a high level, typically with OEMs. We have direct relationships with those involved within their respective Head Office/HQ, either here in the UK or within Europe. We gather the information such as the total number of vehicles affected, the number of dealerships within the network and their expected completion rate of the recall – typically around 80% given the severity of this ongoing recall. Once we have the information required, we manage the dealerships directly. We provide compliant UN approved storage and the facility to arrange exchange/collections with our transport team. We manage incoming requests as well as monthly outreach to the dealership to ensure we are capturing the waste effectively and efficiently. When the waste arrives at our facility, we collate the information, record it, and that forms part of the data sent back to the OEM on a monthly basis. The waste is then dealt with on-site, all in-house, with zero going to landfill.
Why defective airbags are a serious site risk
It’s difficult to predict how many end-of-life vehicles containing recalled or degraded airbags recyclers have in their yards right now, given the many variables involved, but there needs to be a significant change in the industry to ensure that these airbags are not resold or deployed on site using “manual” tools/plug-in disposal equipment.
The airbags related to the TAKATA recall are so dangerous that if an employee encounters a defective one and deploys it on-site, it will almost certainly cause injury or a fatality. The problem with the airbags is that the chemical compound degrades over time, causing it to inflate with too much force and turning into a bit of a ‘hand grenade’. Climate also plays a role in this; those in the southern parts of Europe, the Americas, and Australasia are at greater risk due to humidity. Humidity causes the chemical composition to degrade much more quickly, rendering the inflators much more unstable in a shorter time frame than those not exposed to warmer climates. Regardless, there is still a significant risk involved with the defective airbag inflators.
Inside a compliant disposal process
Once airbags arrive at our facility, our focus is on controlling the waste stream safely, legally and with full traceability.
The process starts with the waste being received, recorded and segregated by type. From there, the airbags are dismantled, rendered inert, and recycled through our in-house process, with zero material sent to landfill.
We are also currently trialling new processing technology as part of an ongoing research and development project. The evidence so far suggests the system is significantly less labour-intensive and more cost-effective than the manual process we have used for years.
We have designed and developed the automation ourselves because, from our experience, there are currently no credible off-the-shelf machines capable of safely rendering this waste inert at the volumes we handle.
Building a UK takeback model for recalled airbags
In some European markets, manufacturers already operate a more direct takeback approach, in which recalled airbags are identified at end-of-life vehicle sites, removed from circulation, and sent to a controlled disposal route.
I’m not entirely sure why it’s not been adopted in the UK. It seems completely logical to me to replicate this here in the UK to ensure these airbags are not sold and/or deployed on site with inadequate tooling. ELV recyclers should have a way to identify those airbags affected, and they should then be able to “sell” the disposal of this to a third-party company like ours, which will properly dispose of the waste. We would then make a claim against the airbag manufacturer.
A properly functioning UK system could work in a simple way:
- The recycler identifies airbags recalled
- The recycler notifies a third-party, such as Airbag Disposal UK
- Airbag Disposal UK pays an agreeable fee to the recycler for the airbag(s)
- Airbags Disposal UK disposes of the airbag correctly, safely and compliantly in regard to current legislation
- Airbag Disposal UK claims the “sale price” back from the OEM, along with the associated disposal costs.
What recyclers should do now to protect staff?
This reflects the message I have tried to get across throughout: the industry needs better education on how to identify recalled or defective airbags, how to handle and store them properly, and how to dispose of them safely and in compliance.
I am not aware of any credible tooling that is suitable for deploying defective airbags. I know there is equipment on the market for airbag depollution, but in my view, it is not robust enough to handle Takata airbags safely.
For UK vehicle recyclers, recalled and defective airbags cannot be treated as a routine depollution task. The risks are too serious, particularly where Takata inflators may be involved. In practical terms, every recycler should follow three basic steps before any recalled or suspect airbag is removed, handled or disposed of: identify affected airbags, store them compliantly and use a specialist disposal route rather than attempting to deploy them on site.
Further Reading on ATF Professional
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120,000 UK Drivers Hit by Airbag Recall Crisis
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Majority of Recalled Cars in the UK Remain Unrepaired, Study Shows
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Understanding CoDs, NoDs and the DVLA Fleet Scheme: What ATFs Need to Know
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From Regulation to Recovery: Collaboration Takes Centre Stage at IARC 26
