subject: Auto Recycling Information [print this page] Vehicle recycling is the dismantling of vehicles for spare parts. At the end of their useful life, vehicles have value as a source of spare parts and this has created a vehicle dismantling industry. The industry has various names for its business outlets including wrecking yard, auto dismantling yard, car spare parts supplier, and recently, auto or vehicle recycling. Vehicle recycling has always occurred to some degree but in recent years manufacturers have become involved in the process. A car crusher is often used to reduce the size of the scraped vehicle for transportation to a steel mill.
Since 1943, the Automotive Recyclers Association (ARA) is an international trade association which has represented an industry dedicated to the efficient removal and reuse of automotive parts, and the safe disposal of inoperable motor vehicles.
ARA services approximately 1,000 member companies through direct membership and over 2,000 other companies through our affiliated chapters. Suppliers of equipment and services to this industry complete ARA's membership. ARA is the only trade association serving the automotive recycling industry in 12 countries internationally.
Once your End Of Life Vehicle has been picked up by GreenVehicleDisposal.com and all hazardous fluids and materials have been removed, reusable parts are removed and the remainder is recycled. See below for information on what happens to the various material component parts of vehicles.
Breakdown of materials: The composition of the car has changed considerably in recent years. The major reason for this is due to the fact that the concentration of ferrous metals has declined considerably as vehicle producers have opted for the lighter, more fuel efficient materials such as plastic when designing new vehicles. The following graph shows the average breakdown of materials found in cars in 1998.
The process of recycling a vehicle is extremely complicated as there are many parts to be recycled and many hazardous materials to remove. Briefly, the process begins with incoming vehicles being inventoried for parts. Then, recyclers start the engine in order to inspect for leaks. After inventory, fluids are drained and removed. After the fluids are removed, the final remaining hazardous materials such as battery, mercury, and sodium azide (the propellant used in air bags) are removed.[3] After all of the parts and products inside are removed, the remaining shell of the vehicle is crushed and recycled.
Recycling steel saves energy and natural resources. The steel industry saves enough energy to power about 18 million households for a year, on a yearly basis. Recycling metal also uses about 74 percent less energy than making metal. Thus, recyclers of end-of-life vehicles save an estimated 85 million barrels of oil annually that would have been used in the manufacturing of other parts. [2] Likewise, recycling a car keeps 11 million tons of steel and 800,000 non-ferrous metals out of landfills and back in consumer use. [4] Before the 2003 model year, some vehicles that were manufactured were found to contain mercury auto switches, historically used in convenience lighting and antilock braking systems. Recyclers remove and recycle this mercury before the vehicles are shredded to prevent it from escaping into the environment. In 2007, over 2100 pounds of mercury were collected by 6265 recyclers.
by: Marvin Maloney
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