The Co-operative Insurance is urging the motor insurance industry to do its bit to reduce CO2 emissions by stopping the practice of replacing plastic components with new parts.

By repairing damaged car parts rather than replacing them, The Co-op claims that more than 200,000 plastic bumpers could be prevented from being sent to landfills sites each year. This is equivalent to five football pitches being filled at one metre deep. It also means that fewer car parts are produced in factories across the world and transported to the UK.

To illustrate its commitment to combating climate change, The Co-op is putting its money where its mouth is and has created a scheme that encourages garages to repair damaged parts rather than replace them. Those that take part in the scheme will receive 50% of the cost of the replacement part as an incentive.

David Neave, director of general insurance at The Co-operative Insurance, said: “This is a groundbreaking scheme, which we believe the insurance industry should adopt if they are to reduce their impact on the environment.

“It’s easier to fit a new part and throw away the old one, rather than considering if the old part can be repaired. But it’s not sustainable, so to encourage repairers to think twice, we’ve decided to offer them a major incentive.

“We have demonstrated our commitment to combating climate change through all areas of our business. And we think that it is time that other insurance companies follow our lead. We want to encourage their network of repairers to repair damaged parts instead of stripping them down and sending them to landfill.”