As much as 3.65 billion tonnes of vehicle scrap will be generated between now and 2030, according to a study by Oxford Brookes University.

The number of vehicles on the world's roads will increase by 65 per cent to 1.48 billion with each vehicle accounting for 1.85 tonnes of waste in its lifetime.

The dramatic increase is down to factors such as population growth, vehicle affordability, replacement vehicles in the developed world and increasing demand in the emerging markets of India, Russia, China and eastern Europe. The report calls for new technologies, designs and better infrastructures to be developed now so that vehicles can be disassembled into their most basic components to allow increased recycling and reuse. Currently, around 75 per cent of a motor vehicle is recycled, the report said – mainly the metal content.

The rest - including plastics, rubber, glass, fabrics and other materials are generally sent to landfill. Professor Allan Hutchinson, one of the report authors, said: “The recycling challenge is not a concern for the distant future, it is with us now, and will become even greater with every year that passes. “How to dispose of vehicles more effectively may not be the most glamorous part of the motor industry, but it may well ultimately be the most important for a sustainable one.”