Have you ever given a thought to the fate of your old car after disposing of it at a junkyard? Most people don’t, but a lot goes into it. This article will give you a closer look at what happens to an old car once it’s sold to a junkyard. Please keep reading to learn what junk car recycler in Washington has in store for your beater car when it finally bites the dust.
How to recycle your car’s plastic
Many people don’t think twice about dumping their junk car, not realizing what recycling a car can do. The plastics used in any modern-day car are composed of materials that can be easily separated and recycled. If a car is adequately recycled, the plastics won’t end up in landfills but will find their place in creating new products.
So what exactly is plastic? The polypropylene used in car plastics is broken down into “resin pellets” so that manufacturers can repurpose them for use in other products.
Your car’s metals are recyclable.
Metal recycling is a popular way of disposing of junk cars that are no longer needed or usable. According to the EPA, thousands of salvage yards across the country buy junk cars and reclaim their metal. The benefit of obtaining steel from junked cars is that it’s more energy-efficient and can save up to 74% of the energy used for its production. Junk cars, for example, are the source of 25 percent of steel in use today.
There are many good uses for scrap metal, including building materials for roofs and highways or being transformed into new metal products. The metal can also be used as a part of a new steel car or truck.
You can recycle your car tires.
Recycling the tires from your car is an environmentally-conscious alternative to throwing them away. It prevents old tires from entering landfills and harming the earth. For instance, recycled tires can be granulated, creating rubber products like surfaces for playgrounds. They can also be ground up and used as an asphalt additive or burned to make steam and electricity. So, don’t dump your tires!
Recycling the battery from your car
Recycling your car battery is an excellent way to ensure that you are not contributing to pollution in the environment. The U.S.A Battery Council International report estimates that approximately 99% of the battery is recyclable.
You can recycle your old car battery in many ways. In most cases, a car battery is composed of lead and plastic. All of these components are recyclable so long as they are removed during the disassembly of the battery.
The process starts with neutralizing any battery acid to ensure that it doesn’t pollute the environment. Then, the plastic is separated from the rest of the battery components and melted down to be reused. This plastic portion is then sent to a plastics recycler, while the metal components are sold for use in other products.
Shred the Vehicle Frame
Once the valuable components have been removed, the remaining parts are put in a vehicle shredder and crushed. The shredding company can then sort the smashed parts magnetically to separate any remnants of ferrous material.
Send to Manufacturers
The salvaged scrap metal can be sent to manufacturers, who can then recycle it and transform it into steel and other metal products used by different industries. Some scrap metal is converted into steel to manufacture new car frames. Using scrap metal is a good way for manufacturers to save money. It also reduces emissions of pollutants during the production process.
Recycling of automobiles: the state of the industry
The automotive recycling industry in the United States is a very lucrative one. Not only do car owners get to experience the joy of recycling their vehicles, but the industry overall brings in $22 billion annually. The industry is also a source of a lot of steel, sufficient to manufacture 13 million vehicles every year.
The recycling of a car is not only an environmentally-conscious decision, but it also has financial benefits. By recycling the plastics, metals, tires, and batteries from your old car, you are preventing them from entering landfills and harming the earth. Additionally, you are helping sustain the automotive recycling industry in the United States. So, before you dump your old car somewhere, find out if there’s a recycling program available that will help you benefit both your pocket and the environment!