Things you might not know about auto recycling

Did you know that around 80% of cars can be recycled? That’s quite a large statistic and it’s something not everyone is aware of.

With a growing 18% of the world’s population using a form of vehicle to get from A to B, we must understand the importance of recycling our cars and the benefits that come with doing so. Most of these link to environmental factors such as reducing landfill and reducing energy which is harmful to our planet.

Of the many ways to reduce pollution and combat climate change, it seems as though recycling is one of the easier strategies for us to carry out successfully. With more people jumping on board with this, landfill pile-ups are becoming smaller than they once were in the past.

So, let’s delve into some useful facts about recycling your vehicle and find out just how you could help tackle climate change by doing so.

1. There’s more to auto recycling than crushing cars

Before a car is recycled, there’s a lot of work that goes into depolluting and dismantling it before it’s crushed. Fluids that could be harmful to the environment, including fuel, brake fluid, and even windscreen washer fluids, are safely removed from the vehicle. This is to ensure no chemicals are leaked.

Once the fluids are removed, the vehicle can then be dismantled. All parts that are still in good condition are salvaged for reuse to reduce waste and to get the maximum life out of them. After the vehicle has been dismantled, the car is ready to be crushed!

Interested in recycling your car? Find more info here.

2. 27 million cars are recycled across the globe each year

It’s no wonder that with 27 million cars recycled each year they are classed as the most recycled product in the world. From batteries to windscreen wipers, 95% of our cars can be reused once we’ve finished with them.

Did you know that recycling metal uses around 75% less energy than creating new metal? That’s a huge amount of energy saved when you take into account the number of cars that are recycled each year.

Overhead shot of scrap cars

3. Recycling cars has boosted our economy

The more cars that are recycled, the more work that’s needed for the process.

Auto recycling has created a positive boost for the worldwide economy over the years, with almost 800,000 workers employed in the automotive industry in the UK alone. As the majority of the work requires hard labour, the number of employees in the recycling business is only growing more and more.

So, not only does recycling our cars reduce our carbon footprint, it has also created hundreds of thousands of jobs across the globe. A great boost for the economy and our planet!

4. Millions of tonnes of material are saved every year

As cars are predominantly made from metal, it’s obvious that the largest material used for recycling is, of course, metal. To give you a better idea, there are around 14 million tonnes of steel that are recycled annually from end-of-life cars. That’s a shocking amount that would simply go to waste if it wasn’t for auto recycling!

Bonus Fact: Each year, scrap metal buyers divert roughly 145 million tonnes of material from entering landfill. What do they do with all this material? They recycle it and keep it in production!

5. Around 1 million cars are scrapped each year in the UK

A staggering amount of cars are scrapped each year, and this number is only increasing!

If it wasn’t for businesses like Overton Automotive, these cars would pile up in landfill and seriously harm our planet. Toxic chemicals would be released into the environment and millions of tonnes of material would go to waste each year.

Pile of scrap cars ready to be recycled

You might’ve thought that auto recycling was as simple as crushing cars, or you might’ve been aware of all the work that goes into saving car parts. Either way, these are just some of the eye-opening facts and figures about the auto recycling industry. From reducing our carbon footprint to boosting the economy, it seems to be an industry that is becoming increasingly popular.

Have any questions about recycling your car? Our friendly team are happy to answer any questions you might have. Call us on 01224 722 354 or email us at sales@overton-automotive.co.uk. Or feel free to use our live chat feature where one of our team members will respond as soon as possible.

 

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