Students turn old car into new recycling opportunity

Level 2 Motor Vehicle students at Burton and South Derbyshire College (BSDC) have been using their automotive skills and knowledge to strip a car down to be recycled.

The scrap car challenge project involved fully dismantling a pre-production Toyota Auris Estate, kindly supplied by Toyota Motor Manufacturing Ltd, which had reached the end of its useful life in the workshop.

This gave students a unique opportunity to repurpose and recycle its components for learning and sustainability. Students were tasked with striping the car down, identifying recyclable materials and assessing the value of its components.

They took part in various dismantling tasks, giving them the opportunity to understand the components and locations within a modern vehicle, while improving practical skills. The students will now recycle the parts, and any funds raised will go towards a new training vehicle for the department.

Burton and South Derbyshire College places sustainability at the core of its vision, with initiatives that include maintaining Carbon Neutral Organisation status, being a proud SDG Accord member and setting a target to achieve net zero emissions by 2050.

The college is embedding sustainability into the learner experience, showing how practical learning can align with environmental responsibility. Projects like this one help students to gain the skills and mindset to drive positive change in their communities.

John Thatcher, Motor Vehicle tutor said: “This project is more than just dismantling a car; it’s about understanding the full lifecycle of a vehicle and recognising the value that can still be found in something others might throw away. The project is giving students a real-world insight into the automotive industry and the importance of resource recovery.”