What Types of Old Car Parts Can You Recycle?

Because they’re complicated pieces of machinery, cars are made of a variety of materials and moving parts. And once they reach the end of their lifespan, they’re often referred to as End of Life Vehicle (ELV). Many automotive parts can and should be recycled, but each one has to be done in a different way. There’s no single regulation on how recycling car parts should be performed, but there are some initiatives taking place about the recycling of mercury switches and tires. These initiatives try to make the process of recycling auto parts as clean as possible. And so far, they have been able to implement several regulations that have made positive steps in that direction.

The Process for Recycling Automotive Parts

Once a car is brought to a scrapyard, it has to go through the following steps:

• Dismantling — All the fluid and parts of the vehicle are removed. These include everything from the battery and tires to the radio and engine.
• Crushing — After all the parts are removed, the vehicle is crushed to a more manageable size.
• Shredding — Once the vehicle has been crushed, it’s sent to a shredder that tears it into fist-sized pieces.
• Resource Recovery — The shredded materials are separated into ferrous and non-ferrous metals, as well as general residue.

For more information about how to recycle car parts, be sure to get in touch with Dawson Recycling and Disposal.



Types of Car Parts That Can be Recycled

Some of the car parts that can be recycled include but may not be limited to:

• Car Fluids — Cars have a number of fluids that allow them to function properly. And because they’re environmentally hazardous, they need to be drained out before the car can be dismantled. Many auto parts stores and car dealerships will accept old fluids. But if there aren’t any in your area, you can always go to a hazardous waste facility.
• Batteries — Car batteries get recycled quite a bit in the United States. In fact, car batteries make up 98-99% of recycled products in the country. Many of them are returned to a dealership or a place where a new battery has been purchased, but they can also be recycled at scrap yards.
• Wheels and Tires — Once they’re brought to recycling facilities, tires are broken down so they can be used to manufacture a variety of products. Car wheels can be sold at junkyards, disposed of at scrap yards, or taken to an automotive store or car dealership where they can reused. In many cases, wheels are melted down with other automotive parts as scrap metal.
• Plastic Car Parts — The plastic parts of a car need to be separated during the shredding process, or they’re removed so they can be taken to a recycling center. Then, they’re melted down and reformed into other plastic products. If the parts can be reused, they can be sold to auto repair centers or any car owners that are looking for them.
• Mercury Switches — Regulations have recently been passed that makes sure that mercury switches are removed from cars before they’re shredded. They open and close electrical circuits, which is done with a small amount of mercury inside the unit.

If you’re looking for a place that does recycling in Corpus Christi, be sure to get in touch with Dawson Recycling and Disposal.