Help the Environment by Recycling Cars and Auto Parts
As consumers, businesses and government entities become more and more aware of the connection between the health of the environment and us, as well as the sustainability of our future commerce and economy, nearly every space in our lives is now concerned with recycling and finding sustainable means of producing goods. The automotive industry is no exception, and as the human population continues to grow and more cars are produced to keep up with consumers, it’s a good idea to look at just how much of a car can be recycled and what kind of impact we could have on the planet by recycling and reusing cars and car parts.
What many people don’t realize is, even when a car is in an accident and it gets totaled, there are still on average at least a dozen parts on the car that can still be salvaged and reused on another vehicle. By reusing parts or recycling materials from old or junk vehicles, not only do consumers save money by avoiding the high costs of manufacturing new parts, but by cleaning and repairing or melting-down and repurposing recycled parts and materials we can significantly reduce the amount of greenhouse gasses emitted and fossil fuels consumed in the process.
Save the Steel
Most modern vehicles are made with steel body frames, which is good news in terms of recycling since steel can be nearly 100% recycled and reused. Recycling steel cuts out the need to mine and refine more iron ore, a process which consumes a lot of coal and pollutes the air, surrounding ecosystems and local aquifer, as the steel simply has to be melted down and reformed to fit its new purpose. In fact, every ton of steel that is recycled saves about half a ton of coal that would have been used to mine and refine the iron necessary to refine new steel! This process can be repeated multiple times as steel never loses its strength, no matter how many times it is recycled and reformed.
Various other metals go into the production of a vehicle that can be recycled, such as aluminum and copper. Copper is an industry standard material when it comes to wiring in automobiles, and copper is valuable as it is one of the most in-demand metals in terms of recycling. Another metal that can be effectively recycled and repurposed is aluminum. Roughly 90% of the aluminum on a vehicle can be recycled, which can make up for over half of the recycled vehicle’s value. Aluminum is commonly used to make transmissions and engine blocks, both very necessary parts of a working car, and each ton of recycled aluminum can save the fuel equivalent of 21 barrels of oil when compared to creating new aluminum parts.
Savings with Parts
Plenty of different parts can also be recycled to save money and the health of the environment without melting down and recasting vehicle frames, engines and so on. About 99% of vehicle batteries are recycled, and buying repaired or pre-owned lights, bumpers, etc. can cut down on the amount of plastic and fiberglass we produce each year. Rubber tires that aren’t properly disposed of may harm the environment for hundreds of years, but recycled rubber has plenty of safe uses from playground bedding to construction and infrastructure. In terms of safety and performance, many pre-owned parts are OEM vehicle parts that are tested and guaranteed to meet safety and performance standards before being resold. The same cannot be said for aftermarket parts, so even though they may be new they may not be as safe or high-quality as its pre-owned OEM counterpart.
Conclusion
Overall, recycling old vehicles and buying pre-owned parts over new parts can not only save drivers hundreds of dollars on maintain their vehicle, but we can also have a large positive impact on the environment by recycling vehicles and vehicle parts. One estimate suggests that enough steel is recycled in the United States and Canada each year to produce 13 million vehicle frames from completely recycled steel. Further, a study done in the state of Massachusetts found that, on average, each salvage yard in the state reduced the state’s carbon emissions by 38,200 tons of carbon per year on average. Keeping these numbers in mind, we could definitely help the environment and potentially reduce the cost of producing future vehicles if we made an effort to recycle vehicles and parts as much as possible. At the very least, next time you’re buying a part for your car, consider saving money and emissions by opting for something pre-owned over a new part.
Holbrook Auto Parts has been proudly providing the Detroit community with a wide selection of new and pre-owned OEM auto parts for over 75 years. We carry parts for virtually all makes, models and years across our multiple locations, and can special order parts that we don’t have immediately available. If you’re looking to save money and reduce harmful environmental emissions by using pre-owned auto parts, there’s no place better than Holbrook Auto Parts!
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