Is Junk Car Removal Good for the Environment?

Climate change is quickly becoming a worldwide concern as more and more people see the effects of warming temperatures on the environment. As a result, the population is looking for ways to protect the environment and one issue is related to what people throw away and people do throw away cars. They might not toss them out the window, but having a car junked is a common practice and the question has come up about having vehicles hauled away: Is junking a car good for the environment?

The quick answer is yes, but it’s better to take a closer look as to why. Scrap car removal is good for processing vehicles that would otherwise be sources for a number of different toxins and other materials that would not be good for the environment.

First of all most developed countries have developed strict regulations on how companies are allowed to process scrap cars and those laws are enforced. This ensures that everyone who waves goodbye to that old car doesn’t have to experience any stress about what might happen to that vehicle.

The other thing to realize about scrap car companies is that they’re heavy into recycling to the point that anywhere between seventy-five and ninety-five percent of a car is recycled, depending on the country. Many businesses are even recycling tires now and turning them into streets and shoes! About twenty-five percent of that metal even makes its way into new cars.

The metals involved might be a surprise to some. Everyone expects that steel is removed from cars to be recycled into other products, but aluminum is also recycled from junked vehicles. This is not a little bit of scrap metal, either. There is about fourteen million tons of steel recycled from cars every year!

What’s also important to consider is that cars that have found their way to the junkyard still have motor oil, windshield washer fluid, and gas. If left in the car, these would be an environmental hazard. As a result, scrap removal companies are required to dispose of any of these substances properly. Furthermore, much of the gas, oil, and other fluids can be reclaimed and injected back in their respective markets.

Car batteries have incredibly corrosive acid in them and also need to be properly processed. Otherwise, the acid in them could leak out into the environment which is quite deadly. Luckily, scrap companies are experts in dealing with them. Some car batteries are either properly disposed of, but most are actually recycled and used in other vehicles.

Not only that, but many junked cars are actually used for spare parts as there is a huge market for repairing vehicles with used parts because it’s cheaper for the consumer.

So, is scrap car removal good for the environment? Yes, as seen here, much of the materials in cars are either recycled or put to other uses, making it one of the most environmental things that a person can do!