5 things to know about scrap car recycling

Do you have a collection of unused or broken vehicles on your property? Have you written off your car and want to sell it for scrap? Your unwanted car can play a big role in recycling and protecting the environment. If you’ve been wondering about what to do with your vehicles here are some key things to know about recycling and why it’s the best way to deal with your unwanted vehicles.

1. Car wreckers and scrap metal recycling services are not the same thing

Although car wreckers and scrap metal recycling are most definitely connected – they are ultimately different parts of a full cycle. A car wrecker or wrecking yard is a place where your car is taken to be dismantled, decommissioned and wrecked. After this process a car wrecking yard will sell the salvaged car parts for use in operating vehicles, and will then sell the metal to a scrap metal dealer.

A scrap metal dealer, also known as scrappers or metal recyclers, are the end destination for the metal in your car. Some scrap metal recyclers like Afresh Metals can offer the full process of dismantling, decommissioning, wrecking and then recycling the metal and parts. The difference for you as a customer is a metal recycler that offers car recycling and wrecking will be able to give you a better price for your scrap cars because you cut out the middleman and engage directly with the metal traders.

1. Scrap metal recyclers offer free removal

If you’ve been wondering how to remove old cars from your property, or have been worried about the cost of towing a wrecked vehicle you can rest easy knowing that most metal recyclers offer a free removal service. Sounds good right? Well, it is! Many recyclers and metal dealers will be able to come to you to remove your unwanted cars at no cost to you. Companies like Afresh Metals have a purpose built transportation fleet and experienced removalists who can take care of any scrap car removals – no matter what state they are in!

1. You can earn money for the metal on your car

The metal in your car is valuable and can be sold and traded through metal recyclers. A good metal recycler is required to hold a valid trading licence and will offer you a price for your unwanted car based on the weight of your car and the make, model and condition of the metal.

1. You can recycle almost 90% of a vehicle

It’s not just the metal of your car that gets recycled. In fact up to 90% of the car can be repurposed and recycled in some way. The most common parts of a car to be recycled include tires, batteries, windshield glass, wheels, rubber hoses, carpets, car seats, belts, oil filters, transmissions and radiators. All of this contributed to the positive impact of recycling on the environment. For example by also recycling windshield glass you avoid tonnes of oil being used in the production of new glass.

1. There are many illegitimate car wreckers who don’t recycle properly

Recycling a car is a detailed process that requires expert knowledge on how to dismantle and dispose of elements safely. For example cars contain many different fluids that are toxic to the environment. As a licensed recycler you are legally required to responsibly and safely dismantle and dispose of any waste products responsibly. There are many illegitimate car wreckers who simply remove valuable elements of a car and crush it, without following environmentally friendly disposal practices. To make sure your car is dealt with responsibly check that your wrecker or metal dealer holds the right licences in your state.