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Automobiles are currently one of the most recycled commodities. The average vehicle is made up of about 65% steel. The steel industry recycles more than 14 million tons of steel from end-of-life vehicles annually. Even fluids such as oils or greases, and coolants and refrigerants from the air-conditioning units may be re-used by the recyclers or sold to a licensed facility for re-use. Rubber automotive tires are re-sold, some are removed to stockpiles for later recycling. Recycled rubber is part of many end-products that contain rubber components. There are three major steps taken when recycling a car.

Step One – Drainage and Removal of Fluids

Preparing the vehicle for dismantling is vital to proper recycling. Fluids must be drained and properly disposed of. Gasoline is drained out, and the gas tank removed; to be used for the recycled metal. The average car contains about 19 liters of operating fluids. These need to be properly handled to avoid contaminating the environment. Dangerous chemicals such as the mercury in trunk and hood light switches and automotive batteries require special handling. The tires are also removed and recycled in this stage.

Step Two- Parts Removal for Re-Use

Many parts, depending on the age and condition, can be reconditioned for re-use. The car is dismantled and the re-sale parts are identified. Recycling car parts decreases the need for the manufacture of new parts. Some examples are whole front and back ends, body panels, wheels, windows and windshields. Parts that are related to the emissions systems are not re-used.

Step Three- Materials Recovery/ Recycling of Materials

Once the fluids and reusable items are removed, the car is crushed. The flattened hulk will be shipped to a shredder that will shred the car in a matter of minutes into small handfuls of metal. This generates three streams that are magnetically separated into iron, steel, and non-ferrous metal such as aluminum and what is known as Auto Shredder Residue(ASR), or “fluff”. This non-metallic material is composed of rubber, plastic, glass, foam, and electrical wiring. This is why it is vital to ensure that all hazardous materials are removed prior to this step in the process.

There is a huge market worldwide for secondary commodities. Many of these are automobile parts. There is even a commodities exchange that sets prices and trades these materials on the world market. The largest markets for scrap metal and steel are currently in India and China.

My next post will talk about a few of the items that are made from recycled car parts.

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Tags: Recycling Cars