Recycled Car Parts: Why, What, And How!

Driving and manufacturing cars pollutes and harms the environment. Every time we buy a new car built with new parts, it costs us money, natural resources and the health of our planet.

One of the best ways to tackle this is with recycled auto parts. In both cars and other applications, we can expand our resources.

Recycling will save us costs and maintenance. At the same time, it is good for the environment. You can even get cash compensation for bringing in your car for recycling. Nowadays most companies mainly focus on the environment by providing car recycle services which is a better solution. Recycling auto parts often comes with a financial incentive. Taking pride in doing the right thing for the environment also helps. At Scrap Cars Removal Sydney they know how to help you get the most out of your old car.

Our guide below tells you everything you need to know about auto parts that are most often recycled.

Why recycled auto parts?

We try to repair and maintain our cars as much as possible to keep them running.

Sometimes that means replacing parts or getting a great deal of work and service done. The costs of all of this could start to add up. However, the way we do this makes a big difference. The traditional method is to drag your vehicle to a junkyard and watch it break into a cube. However, it is not actually that effective. The fact of the matter is that every part of your car can be taken apart, reused and recycled. Some parts can go to other cars, which reduces the cost of repair and maintenance.

Other auto parts can be forwarded to newer cars or used in different ways. You can save money, extend the life of your resource-intensive parts, and help the environment.

There is a constant demand for auto parts of all kinds. The longer we can continue trading without building more, the better. It will reduce waste and environmental damage in this way.

Batteries

Batteries are among the most recycled car parts. It is also not usually difficult to recycle. Standard car batteries can be repurposed into other cars or disassembled.

There is no reason not to opt for car battery recycling. Many car batteries are of the lead acid type. Newer lithium alternatives are usually found in hybrid and electric vehicles.

Lithium tends to last longer, so you won't be replacing it as often. However, recycling hybrid car and electric vehicle batteries is challenging. Recycling lithium-ion batteries for cars is resource-heavy and even dangerous.

There are plenty of recycling centres that can take old lead-acid batteries. Some states give you cash to bring your old lead battery to a recycling centre. This makes it very easy and useful to replace your old lead-acid battery with a newer one.

You get rewarded for doing the right thing. Keeping batteries out of landfills and extending their usefulness is good for everyone.

Engine oil

You may not realise it, but it is possible to clean and reuse your engine oil. All you need is the right equipment and technical expertise. Any auto service centre can take the used oil and recycle it.

Every time you take your car to the store, the company must recycle the used oil. This is because improper disposal of the oil is a hazard to the environment.

Service centres know they can clean, reuse, and repurpose old engine oil. It costs them time and resources, so you're less likely to get paid for your old oil. However, recycling it reduces waste and environmental impact.

Cleaning and reselling used oils saves companies more than money. It helps them to be more environmentally conscious and sustainable. Even if they can't fully recycle it, they still dispose of it responsibly.

Throwing it into our oceans or letting it seep out of containers in landfills has horrific environmental consequences.

Tires and rubber

This may surprise you, but tires can find a new life if you recycle them. Tire recycling is the second most common type. In addition to regeneration and use in other vehicles, there are many other uses.

By recycling it, you can turn the tires into artificial grass for playgrounds. The material is also used in civil engineering and infrastructure projects. It is also possible to use recycled tire materials on race tracks or even produce fuel from them. Tires last forever and are not highly biodegradable, so it is important to recycle them. Keeping them useful helps combat excessive environmental waste and can also save money.

Don't forget the rubber on your hoses or the ones lining your car. The rubber components inside your cabin are reusable, including the mats. Mud or rubber bumpers in the wheel wells are also fair game.

Much of the rubber in your car comes from pre-recycled materials. 

Car glass

The glass that makes up the windshield of vehicles is very special. It is coated with a type of plastic that is much stronger than normal glass. The way it's made makes it safe in the event of cracks or crashes, but it comes at a cost.

Auto glass can be a very complicated thing to recycle, but it's still worth it. This special safety glass is often made into bottles, mugs, tiles, jewelry, and even countertops. It also often finds a second life in a variety of fibreglass products.

However, the difficulties associated with auto glass make things difficult. There are not many recycling centres set up to deal with auto glass. Those with this ability are not very common in some countries.

However, the number of centres is always increasing. You can even find groups that like to organise and collect auto glass to send to existing centres. Purchasing products made from recycled auto glass is a good way to support this practice and extend it to all regions.

See what's near you when you consider recycling your car. 

Engine, transmission, transformers

Rebuilt cars with old engines are known to be cheaper.

Well, the same goes for engines that have had a lot of work done or have been completely rebuilt. Engine and transmission assemblies can be disassembled, recycled and remanufactured. With a little effort, you can get them working again on other cars or salvage materials for other projects.

Catalytic converters are another thing worth recycling. This helps the exhaust system divert contaminants to a less dangerous exhaust. While these can be reused for other compounds, the real value lies in their composition.

Catalytic converters actually contain precious metals. These are useful in electronics and even jewellery. Platinum and palladium are the most commonly used.

They aren't used in large numbers, but you can still save almost $100 on platinum alone with just one converter. Finding a recycling centre willing to do this for you is also not as difficult as you thought.

The metal itself

People don't think about this when they take their cars to the junkyard. When it comes to recycled auto parts, the metal in your car matters and has value. The thing is, your metal is worth more than scrap metal. Everything from the body and handles to the bottom can be recycled. This mineral can be put to new car construction, building construction, or any number of other uses.

Modern cars also contain many metal alloys, from aluminum to precious metals. If it is mined and separated, it can find its way into electronics, jewelry, or city infrastructure. Depending on local regulations, some minerals may be used with curbside recycling.

You can recycle a lot this way as long as it fits inside the container and doesn't contain non-recyclable parts. Its headlight bezels are fair game, as are its mirrors. Be sure to separate metals from any rubber, plastic, or glass if your regulations require it.

plastics and textiles

The sad thing is that most plastics are not biodegradable, which means that this only increases our pollution. The fenders, dashboard, and interiors in general can be filled with plastic that needs to be recycled.

The good thing is that you can separate the plastic from the rest of the material and recycle it. Some of them can be turned into other compounds, but many of them can be used in other everyday products. Even cloth or leather seats, interior trim or carpets can be given new life.

Timing Belts and Chains

These are needed to run things like the air conditioner and alternator and they get a lot of use. The straps need to be checked and replaced regularly, but it's amazing how durable they are. A good number of belts in older cars are still good enough to see use in another car.

Timing belt, in particular, are more durable. It is rare that they are not repairable for reuse. By reusing as much as possible, we reduce our environmental impact and cut costs.