Vehicle Retirement

It costs nothing to donate your old car for scrapping and recycling, plus you’ll receive cash or transportation-related incentives.	Minimal effort – just fill in the application form and either drop off your vehicle or have it towed for free (where available).	Every old clunker taken off the road reduces carbon dioxide emissions by some 5 tonnes and air pollutants by 1.5 tonnes per year.

In Alberta, Climate Change Central (C3) runs a program that retires old vehicles. Called Retire Your Ride, this Canada-wide initiative provides incentives to motorists who voluntarily take their pre-1996 vehicles off the road to be scrapped and recycled.  Retire Your Ride launched in 2009 as a project of the Clean Air Foundation, a non-profit organization. Environment Canada sponsors this national program and Climate Change Central operates the program in Alberta.

Why is it important to take old vehicles off the road?

Older vehicles are less fuel efficient and produce more greenhouse gases and far more health-damaging pollutants than newer cars and trucks.  Indeed, a 1995 or older vehicle produces 19 times more smog-forming emissions – such as nitrous oxide, carbon monoxide, volatile organic compounds and fine particulate matter – than a 2004 or newer model.

Why target pre-1996 vehicles?

Since 1971, the federal government has adopted increasingly-stringent standards for smog-forming emissions from motor vehicles – to the point that today’s vehicles produce 99 per cent less such emissions than from pre-control days.  Regulations that came into effect in 1995 continued this trend of significant reductions, particularly of nitrous oxide emissions.  Vehicles also become less efficient at removing emissions as they age. 

What incentives can I receive if I donate my old vehicle?

Owners of eligible vehicles can choose either $300 cash or up to a year of transit passes.

What criteria must I meet to be eligible for Retire Your Ride?

Your vehicle must be:

• a pre-1996 model
• currently registered and insured in Alberta and have been so for the previous six months in the donor’s name
• in driving condition.

Where is Retire Your Ride available in Alberta?

The program is available throughout Alberta. Please call 1-877-773-1996 to find the nearest drop-off location.

Can't I just get rid of my old car without going through Retire Your Ride?

Yes, you can.  But besides offering attractive valuable incentives, Retire Your Ride ensures your old, polluting car is a) scrapped and doesn’t end up back on the road and b) properly and thoroughly recycled.  While almost all scrapped cars are recycled for their steel, Retire Your Ride recyclers are also committed to the environmentally-sound processing of vehicles and responsible handling of potentially hazardous components such as oil, gasoline, refrigerants, mercury switches and tires.  These recyclers also reuse any vehicle components that can be safely reclaimed, thus reducing the need to manufacture new car parts.

Who recycles the vehicles?

In Alberta, donated vehicles are recycled by government approved recycling facilities.

How do I donate my old vehicle to Retire Your Ride in Alberta?

Click here for the online application. For more information on Retire Your Ride, check www.retireyourride.ca.