What Happens to Auto Scrap?

Auto scrap, also known as vehicle recycling, is an important aspect of the sustainability movement. It helps to divert waste from landfills and reduces the amount of toxic pollutants in our air, soil, and water.

During the automobile recycling process, a variety of recyclable parts and components are removed from cars. These include fluids such as engine coolant, oil, transmission fluid, and gasoline; tires, wheels, batteries, and catalytic converters; and other high-value parts.

Some of these components can be sold on the resale market. For example, built-in GPS systems can command a good price in the marketplace if they’re still functional and intact.

Other high-value parts such as starters and alternators can be sold to remanufacturers for restoration, or broken down for their materials. These parts are especially valuable because they contain copper and steel, which can be recycled into new metal for other vehicles.

The vehicle recycling industry has grown to become the 16th largest industry in the United States. Today, nearly 7,000 businesses operate in the U.S. and generate over $25 million in annual revenue.

If you’re wondering what happens to your car when it gets recycled, here’s a short breakdown of the process.

Once a car arrives at an auto recycler, it is dismantled to retain any useable parts, recover fluids and batteries, and remove hazardous materials. This is usually done by hand, but some of these processes can be automated, particularly in large facilities.

After the dismantling is completed, the incoming car is then put through a crushing machine to extract ferrous and non-ferrous metals. During this process, as much as 80 to 85 percent of the vehicle’s weight can be recovered.

This process allows the recycling of a variety of metals, including aluminum, brass, and stainless steel. These scrap metals can then be used to make new iron products such as rail tracks, appliances, and other cars.

The recycled metal from auto scrap is then sent back to car manufacturers, where it’s mixed with other metals to help them produce new frames for their upcoming lines of automobiles. This helps the auto manufacturers to save money on production costs and reduces emissions at their factories.

While this may sound complicated, the auto recycling industry has been in place for 75 years. The industry has helped to divert over 13 million tons of metal from the waste stream and yielded enough steel to produce nearly 13 million new vehicles.

Besides helping to reduce toxic pollution, the car recycling industry also provides jobs for many people across the country. These jobs help to create new employment opportunities and increase income for families, especially in rural areas where people are often unable to find other ways to support themselves.

In addition, when a car is scrapped, the metals and other material that made up the vehicle are melted down and recycled to produce other products like glass from window screens or foam for seats.

The automotive industry is a great way to support local communities and reduce the amount of trash that goes into landfills. However, a lot of people are still unaware of the recycling process. It’s essential to know what to expect so that you can ensure your car is properly processed and recycled.