BMW (UK) Ltd announces End of Life Vehicle take back scheme for all BMW Group vehicles. 85 per cent of all materials will be recovered and recycled.

From 1 January 2006 all owners of BMW, Rolls-Royce and MINI* vehicles will be
entitled to free take back of their car once it has reached the end of its
serviceable life. This means that owners of BMW Group vehicles, regardless of
where they were bought, the age of the vehicle or whether they have been
serviced outside of the BMW and MINI dealer networks, will benefit from the
peace of mind that their vehicle will be subject to an environmentally sound
disposal process. The process ensures that 85 per cent of the vehicle by
weight will be recovered and recycled.

The service provider for the BMW Vehicle Recycling Network is autogreen.
autogreen has established itself nationally as one of the leading companies in
the field of vehicle dismantling and has a wide-reaching network of vehicle
dismantlers. In addition, autogreen will also be able to offer a vehicle
collection service to BMW Group vehicle owners.

Steve Nash, director of aftersales for BMW (UK) Ltd said, "Since the early 1990'
s, the BMW Group has been involved in the recycling of cars. In fact, the BMW
Group was the first car manufacturer in the world to create a vehicle recycling
network. In the UK, we view our Vehicle Recycling Network as a third and
equally important network within our business after the vehicle sales and
repair networks. I would encourage all owners of BMW Group vehicles to use the
recycling network."

The Process:
The BMW Vehicle Recycling Network operated by autogreen, has been specifically
selected in line with BMW's policy of optimising cost efficient recycling and
recovery. On accepting the vehicle the site will issue a certificate of
destruction. This proves that the vehicle has been destroyed and automatically
deregisters the vehicle, releasing the owner from any further tax obligations.
The next stage is for all pyrotechnics, for example airbags and seatbelt
pre-tensioners, to be triggered for safety reasons, batteries will be removed,
air-conditioning systems siphoned and all operating fluids drained. At this
point it is key that all wastes are contained and sent for processing and
recycling. Many sites within the network will then go on to selectively
dismantle vehicles, identifying and removing usable parts for resale.

Finally, the remainder of the vehicle will be sent through a shredding process
to recover those parts of a car that are made of recyclable materials. It is at
this stage that all the metallic elements, e.g. steel, copper, aluminium,
magnesium and other materials, including some plastics, will be separated for
reuse within manufacturing. This is particularly beneficial as lightweight
materials such as aluminium and magnesium can be recycled at a fraction of the
energy cost needed to produce the product from new.

Owners of BMW Group vehicles that would like to find out more information on
how to dispose of their vehicle through the BMW Group Recycling Network should
contact autogreen on 0800 5422002 or visit www.autogreen.org for a full list of
facilities and information.

Editors Notes:

*Free vehicle take back only applies to vehicles bearing the brands BMW, MINI
or Rolls- Royce and manufactured by the BMW Group. The scheme will not be
offered to Mini or Rolls-Royce vehicles not produced by the BMW Group.
-Ends -

For further information please contact:

Angela Stangroom, Group Communications Manager
Tel: 01344 480537
Email: angela.stangroom@bmw.co.uk

Natalie Wakefield, Group Communications Executive
Tel: 01344 480108
Email: natalie.wakefield@bmw.co.uk

Pressclub - BMW Group media website:
www.press.bmwgroup.com