Why not retire your ride and get $500

The Retire Your Ride successfully taken almost 120,000 high-polluting, older model cars off of the roads since its inception in 2009.

The program offers a wide range of incentives to entice you to retire your vehicle, and in some regions, you could also receive a charitable tax receipt for your effort. According to the Retire Your Ride website, 1995 model year and older vehicles produce 19 times more smog-forming pollutants than 2004 and newer models.

If you have a car model year 1995 or older, you might want to consider earning a little cash, helping the environment, and recycling your car through this program – but hurry! This program ends on March 31.

How it works
Last year, I used the program to recycle my old, barely running, 22-year-old VW Golf. I could have tried to sell it  privately for $600 or $700, but instead I opted to recycle my car and received a $500 credit for a brand new bicycle because of it.

Recycling my car through this program was a very easy and straightforward process. You first need to apply online and submit proof of continuous insurance for the past six months. After that, you can choose to drop it off at the nearest recycler, or arrange for a pick-up.

- Your vehicle must be able to start and move;
 - Your vehicle has been fully insured and registered in your name for the past six consecutive months;
- Your vehicle must be for personal use;
- Your vehicle must weight under 8,500 lbs;
- Your vehicle must be complete with no parts removed;
-  All parking tickets and liens must be paid;

Click here for more information on qualifications. 

Choose from a long list of incentives
The rewards for each province differ, and are coordinated by a local program delivery partner.

For example, in Ontario, you can choose between the following:
• $300 cheque
• A discount of $350-$490 off a commuter bicycle
• Up to $450 off the purchase of an ebike
• Monthly bus passes from participating cities
• Additional rebates and savings from Chrysler, Hyundai, Ford, and GM.
• AutoShare membership & driving credits

In British Columbia, the rewards are a little different:
• $300 cheque
• Up to $500 off the purchase of a bicycle
• Monthly buss passes from participating cities
• $550 credit towards a replacement vehicle
• Additional rebates and savings from Chrysler, Hyundai, Ford, and GM.
• Car Sharing membership & driving credits

Please check out this full list of rewards and information for each province. 

I am very happy with my decision to use the Retire Your Ride program. It saved me a lot of time and effort, and got me a new bicycle – which is what I would have spent the money on anyway, if I had to sell my car privately.

Would you use the Retire Your Ride program?

Krystal Yee is a marketing and graphic design professional living in Vancouver. She also blogs at Give Me Back My Five Bucks.