In our days and times, we’re all encouraged to recycle, “go green” and save our Mother Earth.
From using recyclable bags at the grocery store, to carpooling to help combat air pollution, we hear and see messages on a daily basis to save and help our environment.
Did you know that car recycling is huge and a tremendous support to our environment? Auto recycling helps to save natural resources as well as energy.
Here we have compiled facts about car recycling as well as the auto recycling industry.
So, stop and recycle your car while helping Mother Earth! When it’s all said and done, you’ll be going green while collecting the green!
Auto Recycling Industry – Great Eco Friendly Facts to Know!
Recycling that old SUV or van is a great way to not only collect some cash, but help your local community. Check out some amazing finds about the auto recycling industry that will have you “green” with delight!
- Generally, professionals recycle over 25 million tons of metal and other materials, from old vehicles.
- Cars stand as the most recycled consumer product in the world today.
- At the time of this post, the auto recycling industry ranked as the 16th largest in the world.
- Approximately 80% of a vehicle (by weight) is recyclable. The remaining 20% that can’t be repurposed, is deemed as “auto shredder residue (ASR).” Ferrous and nonferrous metal pieces, glass fabric, wood, rubber, plastic dirt, glass and paper are included within that 20%.
- Each year, just about 14 million tons of recycled steel is derived from junk cars and vehicles.
- About 98% to 99% of car batteries can be recycled.
- As time goes by auto windshield recycling grows to be more common!
- Auto recycling helps to reduce accident rates. How? This process helps to buy out of order vehicles off of roads, while keeping roads and highways clear of disabled cars!
How Many Cars Do Experts Recycle Each Year?
Professionals recycle over 12 million cars, in the U.S. every year. As auto recycling becomes more commonplace, you can be confident that just about major city has a recycle center. Thanks to auto recycling, these centers can employ lots of people, causing a great boom to local economies.
What Parts of a Car Can Used Again?
That junk car sitting in the driveway may be an eyesore, but it could be a help to your local community and environment. Check out some of the parts of a car that are recyclable!
- Engine Oil and Oil Filters – We all know that motor oil is valuable asset. It helps to keep the car lubricated and running efficiently. When many cars are eventually scrapped, oftentimes, there is still oil being pumped throughout the system. Mechanics and auto techs will look to drain this oil out in an effective, safe and efficient way, before the junk car is dismantled for its parts. Additionally, auto techs will also recycle the oil filter too!
- Engines, Transmissions and Engine Parts – Various engine parts can still be valuable to different scrap dealers. This means great money for you, should you choose to sell them! While some parts of an engine will have been specially made for specific car models, parts like spark plugs, catalytic converters and radiators, have tremendous value! So, if your junk car still has these parts in great working order, you could be seeing great bucks in receiving a price for your scrap car!
Additionally, in the hands of an experienced and accomplished mechanic, both an engine and transmission can be rebuilt. What was once a junk car sitting in your yard, is now a money-making machine with an engine and transmission worth lots to a mechanic who needs them!
- Old Auto Glass – Old junk car glass is recyclable and used in the production of many products. Some of those items include fiberglass insulation, floor tiles, counter tops, glass bottles, jewelry, worktops and various glass products. As a result of the “second life” auto glass has, there is tremendous emphasis on capping and stopping the amount of broken, windshield, windscreens and more, from being tossed into landfill sites.
- Metal – Metal is a precious commodity and lots of times, is worth lots. With knowledge of this fact, professionals can weigh and price it, depending on its usability, merit and condition. While metal is one of the easiest materials to recycle and sell!
- Car Batteries and Electric Components – Electrical equipment and batteries have the potential to be extremely toxic to the environment, if thrown in a landfill or garbage receptacle. Because they can leak toxic chemicals, car batteries must be properly taken out of a car. Lots of car batteries are often good. Because of this, batteries are one of the most valuable car parts to a junk and a scrap dealer.
- Water pumps – Water pumps can be remanufactured and reused once they break. You should return pumps and there you can receive a “recoup charge”. This is a form of deposit you pay when you buy a new part, while getting money back when you return it. With programs like this in place, lots of customers return old parts, rather than throw them away in a waste receptacle.
- Alternators and Starters – Recycle experts manufacture starters and alternators. Both of these expensive as brand new. So, when you chose to have them remanufactured, you are choosing to save our planet!
- Belts and Hoses – Belts, hoses and even chains are among the most important components of a car. You find them under your hood. They are of no use if they are brittle or cracked. But if they are in still good condition, you can sell them. Then they can become great in another vehicle!
Reasons to Recycle Your Vehicle
Need a few good reasons you should think about recycling your car? We have them!
- Because selling a car is a headache! Let’s face it. Once you decide to sell your car, there is so much work that goes into it! From taking pictures of your car, to dealing with buyers, it can cause some stress! Sure, you may get some cash for your car, but at what cost?
- Manufacturing more steel is not a good use of resources. For those who car about our planet, chances you have a good idea about the materials, energy and labor involved in creating more In order to create steel, there’s mining, transportation and other processes involved. Those processes pollute our air and cause other harm to Mother Earth. But recycling metal that is already here is a great way to reduce pollution and save our resources!
- Fewer Greenhouse gasses. Auto recycling saves on lots of energy-intensive processing. With lots of auto recycling, we will see a lot less industrial greenhouse gases! Our air quality will be better or everyone!
- Limits landfill space and growth. We already have a landfill crisis. Our nation’s landfills keep growing and there are no viable solutions to stop them. So, when we recycle our autos, we save on making deposits to our landfills.
How Auto Recycling Works
While auto recycling helps to create jobs in our community, and more, it is a process. Check out how your junk car is still a great car that can benefit our local communities and environment!
- De-pollution– During this process, the focus is on the removal of all the fluids in the motor vehicle. Some of these fluids include: coolant, gasoline, engine oil, gear oil, transmission fluid and more.
- Dismantling– This process involves professionals taking out the various parts of a car. Once recycle experts remove these parts, they are place them for resale! Some of the parts taken away include: car doors, bumpers, grilles, seats, dashboards and more!
- Destruction or Shredding of the vehicle frame– After recycle professionals remove the useful components, a recycling company places the remaining scrap metal in a vehicle shredder. That shredder magnetically separates metal fragments into ferrous as well as non-ferrous metals.
- The Mix of Metals – First, recycle experts forward that metal for scrap metal. Then the recycle experts pass the metal on to another group of auto recycle professionals for additional metal maintenance. Once complete, those professionals mix the metal with other metals to strengthen it. Then the professionals prepare mold, shape and mount it for new new automobile frames.
- Metal shipped – After experts mix the scrap metal with the other metals to increase its strength, they return it to auto manufacturers. There, they can produce new car. The benefits from using vehicles helps manufacturers. How? Well, it doesn’t cost as much as purchasing new metal. Recycling also benefits the steel industry by reducing gasses and emissions at production and metal plants.
Lots of places offer cash for junk cars and you can benefit from this! Just have the specs of your car handy and know the value of your car. Then, do your homework! With about 12 million vehicles reaching their “end of lives” each year, you have an opportunity to make some money, while making a profit!
You are looking at cash with that junk car! So, how do you go about getting money? Simply have your car's paperwork in hand. Then, have a good idea as to what your car is worth.
Have a list of companies you wish to visit.
Compare prices of businesses that offer you money for your scrap car. FREE junk car removal should be a part of your scrap deal!
Finally, make sure you go to a reputable place to junk car and ask about their recycling programs!
Happy scrap car selling!