The European Parliament has approved a new draft law which would force car makers to re-cycle old cars.

Environmentalists have welcomed the move.

But the car makers say it will cost them twenty-billion dollars which would have to be passed onto the consumer.

The draft law will now go back to European environment ministers for approval and could become law within two years.

It's estimated that nine million cars are discarded in Europe each year -- a quarter end up on landfill sites.

Under the draft law, car makers would have to take back the old cars and recycle them.

From the newsroom of the BBC World Service