If you are worried about scrapping your car and contributing to the endless landfill issues within the UK, then think again. Nowadays we are all super aware of the damage that wasting resources and materials can do to our world, and as a result, the 21st century generation is far more efficient when it comes to reusing and recycling all manner of substances from plastic to glass to metal.
The same is true of the motor vehicle. Contrary to popular belief, almost every component that is created to power a car can be recycled: from the battery and oil through to the foam seats and the metal frame. Of course, during a car’s lifetime there will be several parts that will need to be removed, some that will be reused elsewhere and some that will be simply replaced, and the parts that can no longer be used can be ground up, melted down and used to make a completely different part.
In America, car tyres are recycled to create pavement bases to build new roadways, windscreen glass can be continually recycled to make floor tiles, work tops, glass beads, jewellery or crockery. Car batteries are recycled at many automotive stores nationwide to create new ones, and the scrap iron and steel from the vehicle frame may wing its way over to Japan where they can use it to build brand new products.
Modern day vehicles are designed to be as environmentally friendly as possible, and manufacturers aim to create cars that will be able to be reused or recycled in the future. In fact, up to 95% of the materials in a car can be recycled and these materials are specifically chosen to help car manufacturers have as little impact on the environment as practically possible.
Furthermore, consideration needs to be given to the ease of which each car component can be dismantled and removed when they require replacing. When it comes to removing and recycling car parts, reputable salvage yards have the upper hand due to their extensive knowledge not only on the car parts themselves, but also on their current market value. Experts in whole vehicle dismantling, BMS Salvage can quickly remove and assess the condition of a car, including each individual component and use the part accordingly, whether that should be for reuse or recycling.
Of course, it is not only cars that are recycled, there are hundreds of thousands of trucks travelling across British roads each and every day and these will also find their way to the scrap yard at some point. However, manufacturers have already been quick to recycle trucks and up to a third of any new truck built will consist of parts and materials from an old truck. Scrap yards are fast reducing their negative image as a dumping ground for wasted, useless and forgotten vehicles, but instead they are pioneering the future of the automotive industry with a long term goals to make overfull scrapheaps and excessive pollution history.