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The Complete Guide to Catalytic Converter Recycling

Step-by-Step Guide to Determine Scrap Value

Fact: Catalytic converter recycling is expected to grow by 30% in the next two years. Why is this so important? That means that the demand for rhodium, palladium, and platinum from catalytic converters is greater than ever!

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Looking to recycle your catalytic converter in the Chicago area? Here's the complete guide to catalytic converter recycling!

catalytic converter recycling

Get Cash for Catalytic Converter Recycling

Have you ever heard about people literally stealing catalytic converters from vehicles? Even though this may sound like a weird crime, the criminals had a serious motive: Selling catalytic converter parts.

What does this mean? Surprisingly, there's a bunch of precious metals within your everyday catalytic converter. That means that your catalytic converter is potentially worth a ton of money of the black market!


What should you do? The solution is simple: Recycle catalytic converter parts yourself. However, you shouldn't just rip it out as soon as you want to scrap or sell your vehicle.

That's because it's way easier to leave your catalytic converter inside your vehicle until the pros can recycle it for you. You might be wondering: Why can't I take it out myself?

In case you didn't know, it's super hard to take out all of the precious metals from your catalytic converter. As a matter of fact, it can be just as hard as pulling out small pieces of gold from your circuit board.

Have a spare catalytic converter lying around at home? If so, then we're here to tell you that your catalytic converter is worth some serious cash.

But first of all, what is a catalytic converter anyway?

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What is a Catalytic Converter?

You're probably thinking: What is a catalytic converter? Luckily, we're here to break it down for you. In a nutshell: A catalytic converter works by using catalysts to transform your car's toxic gases into relatively harmless ones.

Here's where it gets interesting: The precious metals palladium and platinum are smeared onto your catalytic converter's matrix. What happens next is crazy.

When exhaust passes through your catalytic converter, the precious metals change things like hydrocarbons and carbon monoxide into water and carbon dioxide.

Seem confusing? All that you really need to know is that catalytic converters have many different metals inside of them, such as:

  • Copper
  • Nickel
  • Cerium
  • Iron
  • Manganese
  • Rhodium

That's not all. Read on to find out why your catalytic converter is valuable!

recycled material

Why Your Catalytic Converter is Valuable

What makes your catalytic converter valuable? We're glad that you asked. Amazingly, the top three most expensive precious metals found within a catalytic converter include rhodium, palladium, and platinum!

Not sure why rhodium, palladium, and platinum are so valuable? Answer: They're extremely rare precious metals. Not only that, but they're also commonly used in everyday products like:

  • Jewelry
  • Electronic devices
  • Industrial parts

Want to know a secret? Your catalytic converter's lifespan should be as long as your car's lifespan. Nevertheless, you should definitely consider replacing it if you notice that your vehicle is backfiring more than usual.

Other signs that you might need to replace your catalytic converter include flashing “Check Engine” lights and using too much gas to fill your car. Don't know where to turn? Try calling your local mechanic to put in a new one for you.

That being said, it's going to be pretty pricey to completely replace your catalytic converter. Why? Because they were originally made for large-scale factories, not regular automobiles!catalytic converter recycling

Where Did Catalytic Converters Come From?

Where did catalytic converters even come from? That's a great question. Back in the 1950s, the French mechanical engineer Eugene Houdry invented the first catalytic converter ever.

The goal? To cut back on the number of pollutants that were coming out of factory smokestacks. This is wild: Catalytic converters didn't even function in automobiles due to the amount of lead in fuel at that time.

What happened when they banned fuel that was filled with lead? Once that happened, the general public became more worried about car pollution, acid rain, and smog. Thus, catalytic converters came to save the day!

Are you asking yourself: How can I find catalytic converter recycling near me? Just search online for the closest catalytic converter recycling in your city.

Now that you know the real deal about catalytic converters, it's time to take a look at the perks of catalytic converter recycling!

Perks of Catalytic Converter Recycling

Here's the deal: Whenever anything is mined from the earth, it can have a major negative impact on our environment. For instance, there are tons of cons to mining precious jewels like platinum.

Check this out: It takes a lot of energy to dig up something like platinum ore from tunnels dug deep under the earth. As if that's not enough, it also takes a couple of tons of platinum ore to produce a relatively small piece of platinum.

On top of that, the platinum ore has to undergo an intense chemical treatment to retrieve pure platinum from it. But here's the kicker: When it comes to the refinery of platinum, the process produces a great deal of pollution for the environment.

It gets worse. The miners who have to put in so much work to do their job are paid tremendously low incomes. Not to mention that their workplace is much more dangerous than the average person's.

So, where does recycling your catalytic converter come in? Fortunately, one of the biggest perks of catalytic converter recycling is limiting mining production for precious metals like platinum. How can you beat that?

Want to skip the recycling process to sell your car fast? The best way to get it off your hands is to offer it at a reasonable price!

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How to Recycle Your Catalytic Converter

Need some help recycling your catalytic converter? We got your back. Most of the time, the simplest way to recycling your vehicle's catalytic converter is to bring your entire automobile to the car recycling center.

How do we know this? Because places that deal with scrap metal are the perfect place to get rid of your old vehicle. Don't know where to find one? There's usually at least one car junkyard in every mid-sized to large community.

But wait – there's more. If you want to make sure that your vehicle is recycled the sustainable way, we've got you covered. Just keep your eye out for “green” recycling centers that accept auto parts.

Luckily for you, these can be found all throughout North America. The best part? Your green car recycling center can actually pick up your car for you to break down on their own time. Plus, they'll cut you a paycheck most of the time too!

Do you already have a catalytic converter recycling center in your area? If that's the case, you can send your catalytic converter there and they'll do the hard work for you. Plus, you can even ship your catalytic converter to the car recycling center through the mail.

How do you know how much you'll get paid for your catalytic converter? Get this: Look up the car recycling center's website online to see their pricing and other important information. In fact, most websites will give you a quote as well.

Tempted to rip out the precious metals from your catalytic converter? We can't emphasize this enough: That's not a very good idea. Why? It's a complicated process that could be risky if it's not done properly.

Let's say that you could pull out the rhodium, palladium, and platinum from your own catalytic converter. Imagine this: The tiny amount of pieces that you may have pulled out would be so small that they'd almost be worthless.

Our final word of advice: Leave your catalytic converter recycling to the pros. Want to know what your car's really worth? We highly recommend that you get an estimate from several different junkyards first!

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Find Catalytic Converter Recycling Near You

Still trying to find catalytic converter recycling near you? Thankfully, our complete guide has everything you need to find a car recycling center near you in Chicago.

Need a push in the right direction? Keep in mind that you'll be saving the environment by making sure that the precious metals inside of catalytic converters are sent to the right place.

Did we mention you'll get paid to do this too? Plus, you don't even have to leave your house to ship your catalytic converter to the recycling center!

On the hunt for scrap catalytic converter buyers? Call us now!

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