Recycling is an essential part of the greater movement toward sustainability. Recycling prevents the wastage of valuable resources and prevents their exploitation and depletion.
Once a car reaches the end of its life cycle, you can recycle many components or repurpose them into new products. Recycling car parts can have many benefits for both you and the planet, as it allows you to save money and keep trash out of landfills.
Below are four car components that you can recycle.
1. Car Batteries
As a critical component in any car or other vehicle, batteries are a big part of why cars can run and make our lives easier. Batteries also contain harmful elements, like lead, plastic, and battery acid. The components can be detrimental to the environment if thrown into a landfill.
All three components also have high recycling rates, making car batteries extremely easy to recycle. You can recycle a car battery by taking it to a local dealership or auto parts store that offers battery-recycling services.
You can also drop the battery off at an automotive recycling center. The automotive recycling center will often offer community members the chance to bring in their old batteries.
2. Oil Filters
Oil filters are a vital part of your vehicle’s engine. Oil filters strain impurities from your engine’s oil as the oil circulates through the motor. The better the filtration, the more reliable and efficient your vehicle will be.
When your engine uses up all the oil, you will need to replace the filter for your car to continue functioning correctly. Have the filter recycled rather than tossing your oil filter in the trash after an oil change. Recycling oil filters is important since they could contain harmful chemicals like asbestos.
You can recycle used oil filters at auto shops. Several local recycling centers will also take filters off your hands for free.
4. Engine Parts
While not every piece of an engine is recyclable, plenty of engine parts are. A few common engine parts that you can recycle include pistons, camshafts, flywheels, and oil pumps. Recycling for each component differs somewhat according to the component type.
You can try to sell the engine parts to the original auto shop that made them. The original shop can recycle the parts into a new engine.
Recyclers can also melt down metals like iron and steel from the parts and use the metals in new products.
Many car components have a recycling niche. The trick is knowing what those niches are and where you can find them. An excellent place to start is your local vehicle salvage yard. Salvage yards offer the most options for recycling obsolete or broken parts from your cars in exchange for cash. The yards also provide an extensive inventory of available parts for sale, should you need them.
If you would like to explore the salvage yard option, contact us at City Auto Wreckers for a free quote on your vehicle.