Have you ever tried selling your car to the junkyard? It’s a great way to get rid of unused vehicles plus you can also get money out of it. Usually, along with proper documentation, a wrecker tows your vehicle to the junkyard, and you are paid a specific amount.
We all know cars in the junkyard get recycled. But how are they recycled? Aren’t you curious about what exactly happens to your vehicle at the junkyard? If you are, then this post will help you. Today, we are going to see what really happens to your car once you sell it at any junkyard.
The Fluids
Let’s start by knowing what happens with the fluids of your vehicle. There are different kinds of fluids used by the car to function properly. Your car has been sitting in the garage for a long time, waiting for the day you dispose of it along with those fluids.
The fluids are considered hazardous. That’s why you shouldn’t try to drain them before selling your vehicle. If you drain them on your own, you risk spillage. If a car is left to sit on your property for a long time, there is a huge chance that the fluids will seep through and pollute the environment.
Those at the junkyard can drain these fluids in a safer manner. Plus, they also have a way of disposing of and recycling them if possible. For example, motor oil is a car fluid that could still be cleaned and reused as a lubricant. Some industries use these as an energy source for their furnaces.
The freon that is drained from your AC system is highly toxic to the environment. It causes the depletion of the ozone layer. That’s why it should be carefully drained so it could once again serve as a refrigerant.
Salvaged Parts
Some cars are so damaged that they aren’t acceptable on the roads. However, even those cars may still have some parts that could still be reused. Such sellable parts are first removed before pressing or crushing the vehicles.
The parts are sold to customers who are looking for specific parts and are okay with used ones. Usually, these parts would include the batteries, alternator, transmission, engines, and starter. The exterior parts like bumpers, doors, mirrors, tires, and the hood can also be reused.
Recycling Parts
Some car parts that are removed from the vehicle may not be readily sold. Some may still require processing for them to be recycled. Let’s take car batteries as an example. In some cars, these can be pulled out of the vehicle and sold as they are.
On the other hand, dead car batteries can’t be sold because they will be useless. However, they can still be recycled by removing the lead in them. Lead is toxic and should only be handled by those with experience with it. Once the lead is removed, it could be used to create new batteries.
Apart from recycling the lead, the other plastic components are also recycled. They are molded into new battery cases.
Recycling Steel
Once fluids have been drained and the parts removed, the car will usually be crushed and pressed. Then it will be shredded into pieces. With that, a huge magnet will be used to get the steel components of the vehicle.
The steel gathered from old cars is recycled back to car makers to create new cars. Some may also be made into construction material, household appliances, bridges, elevators, etch. There is a lot of use for steel.
Recycling Other Metals
Apart from steel, there are other metals that make up your car. Aluminum is one of them. This metal is usually selected for its lightweight. It is used for vehicles to further improve fuel efficiency. Aluminum gathered from old junk cars is recycled back into new car parts.
Other metals like rhodium, palladium, and platinum are known to be part of the platinum group metals. They are also known as PGMs and are precious metals. They are usually used for catalytic converters to aid in lesser emissions.
However, the amounts recovered aren’t that large. They would usually only have about 1-15 grams of PGM recovered. Nevertheless, the rarity of the metals makes them expensive.
Do you want to get rid of your worn-out and junk car? The best way to do it is to sell it at a junkyard. For that, you can rely on the wrecker services of Speedy Fleet Towing. Ready to serve anywhere in Cleaveland, Ohio metro area…
