Category: Auto Recycling

Many people aren’t aware of it, but some junkyards make a significant contribution to the auto recycling business, both in terms of supplying recyclables to recyclers and reducing the amount of junk car parts that need to be recycled. If you would like to sell your car to a junkyard, but you also want the vehicle to be recycled, you don’t have to choose. You can achieve both goals. If you have questions about how junkyards support auto recycling, check out the answers below.

How do junkyards support recycling without the help of recyclers?

Recycling auto parts technically means reusing them instead of sending them to a landfill. In addition to sending car components to recyclers, junkyards do this by selling car parts to drivers who use them to repair vehicles. The goal is to keep the parts from reaching a landfill or wasting away on someone’s private property. Selling reusable parts accomplishes the goal.

What vehicle components do junkyards send to auto recyclers?

Most vehicle recyclers specialize in processing metal car components, particularly car frames, the chassis on which the frames sit, and metal panels located in the undercarriage. Some recyclers go the extra mile and process glass and/or rubber parts in addition to metal ones, but this isn’t the norm. Most vehicle recycling outfits primarily process stripped down car frames.

Can you sell a car frame to a junkyard instead of an auto recycler?

Because the bread and butter of a junkyard’s business is selling reliable, used car parts, they don’t have a need for cast off car frames like the ones you see being smashed flat by car crushers at vehicle recycling businesses. Because most drivers have no need for old car frames, many junkyards simply don’t include the sale of car frames in their business model.

What do junkyards do with parts that auto recyclers don’t process?

A junkyard that is dedicated to auto recycling will have connections in the recycling industry that extend beyond conventional auto recyclers. For example, unusable tires are sent rubber recyclers, windshields and side windows are sent to glass recyclers, and upholstery is sent to textile recyclers or leather recyclers whenever possible. The goal is to reuse everything.

Receive a Free Quote From Wrench-A-Part

If you would like to receive a cash payment for your end-of-life vehicle by selling it to a junkyard, but you also want to make sure that leftover components from the automobile are recycled, contact Wrench-A-Part. We participate in auto recycling in two ways: by selling used car parts and keeping them in circulation, and by sending leftover components that customers don’t buy to companies that recycle them. Contact us today to receive a free price quote for your junker!      

Many people have seen photos or videos of a vehicle recycler operating a car crusher. In addition to being stripped of most components, one thing that stands out about the frames is that they don’t have tires on the wheels. Where did the tires go? There could be several answers. Below, we take a look at the most common destinations for used vehicle tires that are taken from the frames of end-of-lifespan vehicles before they are smashed flat and recycled.

Junkyards Sell Them

Savvy buyers of used auto components know that junkyards are a great place to find tires that have thousands of miles worth of tread remaining. Even so, the tires don’t cost nearly as much as they would if you purchased them new from a tire shop. Junkyards that participate in recycling a vehicle often sell unsold tires to tire recyclers. This is what Wrench-A-Part does.

Recyclers Sell Them

Some end-of-life vehicles are sold directly to recyclers, most of which specialize in recycling metal from cars and not rubber components such as tires. Some recyclers require tires to be removed before they accept a vehicle. Recyclers that don’t have this requirement often sell tires to organizations that reuse them in original form or process them into a variety of new products.

Recyclers Recycle Them

Some outfits that specialize in recycling a vehicle apply a proverbial full-court press to recycling a vehicle, and process and recycle practically everything on it that can be recycled, including tires. These types recyclers almost never use recycled tires to produce new products. Rather, they process the tires into a form that rubber product makers can use without having to spend much time refining the rubber.

They Reach a Landfill

Unfortunately, some tires contribute to the automotive jetsam that you find in big landfills. This often happens as no fault of junkyards or tire recyclers. Rather, consumers who change their own tires take spent tires to a landfill and pay a small price to get rid of them. Because some tire recyclers will pick up old tires for free, there is never any need to place them in a landfill.

Need to Buy Pre-Owned Tires?

When you think about parts that you get from a junkyard, tires usually aren’t the first thing that comes to mind. However, considering that many vehicles in junkyards have tires that are nearly new in terms of tread wear, shopping for tires at a junkyard is an excellent option. If you would like to buy perfectly usable tires for a great price, come to one of our Texas locations in Austin, Belton, Holland, or Lubbock and kick around the tires on our vehicles. Visit us today!     

 

When we talk about recycling a vehicle, we often speak of recyclable auto parts that are located on the exterior of the car, such as the frame, tires, and body. These vehicle components are some of the most commonly recycled auto parts in the world, but there are also quite a few recyclable parts that are located inside the cabin of a vehicle, particularly the ones listed below.

Seat Cushions

Seat cushions in many vehicles are comprised of urethane foams that provide excellent comfort. In addition to the comfort factor, foam car seats also have the advantage of being highly recyclable. Because not all vehicle recyclers take the time to recycle seat foam, it’s important to choose a recycler that does recycle foam seat cushions if you want the whole car to be saved.

Cabin Upholstery

In terms of how widely it is recycled, cabin upholstery falls into the same category as seat cushions. Not every recycler makes the effort to reclaim it, but there are several types of cabin upholstery that can be recycled, including: leather, polyester, and vinyl, to name a few.

These types of upholstery and others can be recycled to create new car cabin upholstery.

Plastic Components

The interior of most modern vehicles is filled with various plastics that are used to form everything from dashboards to steering wheel columns. Many of these plastics are exceptionally high-grade and can be recycled to create new plastic components for cars. Automakers will continue to use plastics to save money. So, this area of auto recycling is expected to grow.

Glass Components

Most modern vehicles have few glass parts that are located deep inside the cabin. However, practically every car has at least four windows whose glass can be recycled: the windshield, the back window, and side windows on the driver’s side and passenger’s side. When recycling a vehicle, car glass can be used to make new car windows and glass parts for other applications.

Contact Wrench-A-Part

If you want to recycle an end-of-life vehicle as fully as possible, it’s important to sell or donate the car to a vehicle recycler that sustains multiple streams of recycling, or sell or donate the vehicle to junkyard that supports auto recycling. At Wrench-A-Part, we approach recycling a vehicle by selling its useful parts to consumers, and then forwarding the rest of the automobile of to an auto recycler that is committed to recycling as many automotive components as possible.

To receive a free price quote for your end-of-life vehicle, call one of our Texas locations in Austin, Belton, Holland, or Lubbock, or fill out the contact form on our website. We look forward to making you a competitive offer for your vehicle that is no longer useful for transportation!

 

Vehicle recycling has been in practice since long before recycling became a public obsession. In the early days, cars were primary recycled for the metal they contained. Today, non-metal components of salvage vehicles are recycled, too, but metal continues to comprise most of a salvage car’s recyclable material by mass. Even if your salvage car is badly wrecked, vehicle recyclers would likely be interested in taking it off your hands to recycle the following metals.

Steel

When recycling a vehicle for its metal, steel generally comprises the majority of metal that is recycled. Car frames and engine components are commonly made from carbon steel that is coated with primer and paint or left in its original state. According to the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), “65 percent of the materials used to build the average car are a steel product.”

Aluminum

Although it lacks the dimensional stability of steel, aluminum is commonly used in modern vehicles because it is lighter than steel. Wheel rims and engine components comprise the majority of aluminum that is found in the average vehicle. Compared to steel, the microstructure of aluminium has a low transformation point, which limits its use for high-heat applications.

Iron

Iron is more commonly found in early model vehicles than in late model vehicles that only recently rolled away from the assembly line. However, some auto manufacturers whose vehicles have a reputation for being remarkably safe in the event of auto accidents still use the durable metal to create structural support bars that are hidden within the doors and the roof.

Titanium

Among metals that are commonly found in vehicles, titanium tends to be the least common, as it is difficult to manufacture and thus commands a premium price on the fair market. Because titanium is highly resistant to chemical corrosion, it is commonly applied to intake valves and exhaust valves, which can be exposed to a variety of chemicals in liquid form and gas form.

Interested in Recycling a Vehicle?

If so, Wrench-A-Part is eager to learn the make and model of the automobile, as we may need the vehicle in our inventory, and pay you a competitive price to acquire it. We sell a high volume of pre-owned auto parts year round, so we constantly need new vehicles in stock to serve the needs of our expansive customer base. In addition to buying your car, we can also assist you with recycling the vehicle by forwarding its scrap metal to a recycler after we sell the parts.

For more information about recycling a vehicle by selling it to a junkyard, call one of our Texas locations in Austin, Belton, or Lubbock today, or refer to the contact page on our website.

When they think about selling a salvage vehicle, many environmentally conscious drivers envision liquidating the automobile to an auto recycling company. However, there are some compelling reasons to sell the vehicle to a junkyard that participates in auto recycling instead of selling it directly to an auto recycler. Before you offer your vehicle to an auto recycler, consider the following benefits of selling it to a professionally owned and operated junkyard instead.

No Need to Remove Parts

Some recyclers request the seller to remove non-recyclable components before the vehicle is sold. Junkyards, on the other hand, prefer the opposite situation. Because they specialize in selling used auto parts, they want the vehicle to have as many original components as possible. If necessary, a junkyard will remove non-recyclables before forwarding the frame to a recycler.

Sale Price Could be Higher

Junkyards monetize the vehicles they buy in every way possible. In addition to selling vehicles component by component, junkyards also sell the leftover scrap metal to auto recyclers. Consequently, a single junk vehicle can be worth thousands of dollars to a junkyard. This gives the business great flexibility to step up to the plate and make you a competitive price offer.

Free Towing Services Offered

Auto recyclers are also known to offer free towing services, but junkyards tend to offer them with more regularity. This is because junkyards often have a greater financial incentive to acquire used vehicles than auto recyclers, and can thus afford to offer the customer some nice incentives, as well. If you choose to sell your car to a junkyard, you can receive free towing.

Contact Us Today

If you have an end-of-lifespan vehicle that you would like to recycle, you have two options: sell or donate the car directly to an auto recycling company, or sell or donate it to a junkyard that sells the car frame to an auto recycler after liquidating the vehicle’s used auto parts. If you choose to sell your automobile, selling it to a junkyard is a great option for the reasons above.

To receive a free price quote for your salvage vehicle, contact one of our Texas locations in Austin, Belton, or Lubbock today, or refer to the contact page on our website. We can buy your vehicle for a competitive price, and then forward the leftover scrap metal to an auto recycler. At Wrench-A-Part, we proudly support auto recycling in order to support a healthier environment.

Each years, nearly 100 percent of end-of-life vehicles that are taken off the road are recycled, providing recyclers with a variety of options for repurposing vehicular components in one form or another. While a vehicle recycler typically doesn’t focus on creating new products from the components, it forwards recycled materials to companies and organizations that do. Below are four products that are commonly created from materials that result from auto recycling.

1. New Car Frames

As bad as it may look right now, the frame of your car can be used to create new frames that gleam on the vehicle lots of automotive dealerships. Recent statistical data from the Automotive Recycling Association (ARA) indicates that, each year, “Recycling vehicles provides enough steel [for] almost 13 million new vehicles.” Auto recycling can turn your clunker into a new car.

2. New Tires

Just as old car frames can be recycled to create new ones, old tires can be recycled to create new ones, as well. Roughly 60 percent of the rubber that is consumed in the U.S. annually is used to make vehicle tires. Recycling old tires to create new ones helps reduce landfill use and eases the burden on rubber manufacturers to meet industry needs for new automotive tires.

3. Metal Cans

Metal cans that are used to contain everything from beer to paint can be made from reprocessed steel and aluminum from recycled vehicles. The next time you go to a grocery store or a hardware supply store, be sure to notice all the metal cans that contain food and other substances. Chances are that a meaningful percentage of them came from recycled car metal.

4. Metal Trolleys

Metal trolleys that are used in the hospitality industry and the healthcare industry can be created from recycled car metals, especially steel and aluminum. Making trolleys from recycled metal can reduce the cost of the products for end users by reducing the cost of the production process. The next time you see a metal trolley roll by, you may be looking at recycled car metal.

Need to Recycle Your Vehicle?

If so, selling your car to Wrench-A-Part is a great option. After we pay you a fair price for your end-of-life vehicle based on the salable parts in contains, we liquidate the leftover materials to auto recycling companies that process them, so they can be recycled into new products. If you would like to receive a price quote for your end-of-life vehicle, call one of our Texas business locations in Austin, Belton, or Lubbock today. We look forward to helping you recycle your car!

Since companies have become more environmentally conscious about their business practices, auto recycling has been one of the most talked about topics related to the automotive industry. However, the process is often discussed without providing an explanation of what recycling a vehicle entails. In this entry, we take a look at each step of the auto recycling process to show you precisely what would happen to your end-of-life vehicle if it were professionally recycled.

Vehicle is Sold or Donated

Step one for recycling a vehicle is selling or donating it to a junkyard that participates in auto recycling, or selling or donating it to an auto recycler. Because end-of-life vehicles can be worth hundreds of dollars to a junkyard for their reusable parts, many drivers sell them to junkyards.

Fluids are Drained and Recycled

Step two is draining the vehicle of fluids that could contribute to soil and water pollution, such as gasoline, engine oil, and transmission fluid. Many fluids that are removed can be recycled. Non-recyclable fluids may be disposed of through special, eco friendly chemical processes.

Salable Auto Parts Are Removed

Step three is removing usable auto parts, including the engine, the transmission, and the wheels. If you sell an end-of life vehicle to a junkyard, these parts, as well as many others, will have been removed and purchased by consumers before the car is delivered to a recycling outfit.

When usable auto parts are removed by a vehicle recycler, they are often sold to auto repair garages that use high-quality, pre-owned parts to help lower the price of repairs. In one way or another, someone else will repurpose most of the usable parts from your end-of-life vehicle.

Non-Salable Parts are Recycled

Whereas junkyards sell practically every usable part from a vehicle before sending it to a recycler, some auto recyclers choose to recycle certain parts instead of reselling them. These parts include: airbag cartridges, mercury-based switches, lead parts, and catalytic converters.

The Vehicle Frame is Shredded

Step five for recycling a vehicle is shredding the frame using machinery that is designed to demolish car frames and other sources of recyclable metal. The shredding machine reduces the car frame to golf ball sized pieces of metal to make the metal easier to melt before it is reformed.

The Scrap Metal is Repurposed

Metal from recycled automobiles can be used for new car frames and new auto parts, as well as a variety of other products not directly associated with the automotive industry, such as: sheet metal, cans, parts for residential appliances, and steel construction materials, to name a few.

Need to Recycle Your Vehicle?

Each year, almost 100 percent of end-of-life vehicles that are removed from the road are recycled using the six steps above. At Wrench-A-Part, we contribute to the vehicle recycling process by selling usable, pre-owned auto parts from end-of-life vehicles, and then liquidating the mostly empty frames to professional auto recyclers. If you would like to sell or donate your end-of-life vehicle to us, call one of our Texas locations in Austin, Belton, or Lubbock today.

 

Almost everyone knows that vehicles can be recycled, but not as many people are aware of the parts of vehicles that can be recycled and repurposed. In this entry, we take a look at the recyclable materials that are found in the average vehicle by weight, what percentages of the materials are found there, and to what ends they can be recycled and reused.

Ferrous Metal

By weight, roughly 69 percent of the average vehicle is comprised of ferrous metal, which can be used as metal that is reprocessed to create components for new vehicles. In the field of auto recycling, ferrous metal is often referred to as scrap metal. It is a metal that can be fully recycled to create new car frames, new car bodies, and other important automotive components.

Non-Ferrous Metal

The weight of the average vehicle is comprised of roughly 8 percent of non-ferrous metal. Non-ferrous metal may also be labeled scrap metal. However, it typically consists of metals that are moderately precious to highly precious, such as aluminum, brass, copper, nickel, tin, lead zinc, gold, and silver. These metals can often be recycled to produce new auto parts.

Plastics

The construction of the average vehicle features roughly 9 percent of plastics. Automotive plastics have become increasingly common in recent years, as they help auto manufacturers to cut costs and make cars weigh less so they can experience more torque. Thankfully, all most all of that plastic can be recycled into new car plastics and plastics for other types of products.

Glass

About 3 percent of the average vehicle’s weight is comprised of glass, most of which is found in the windows. Because window glass is highly refined regarding clarity and strength, it is one of the best types of glass to reprocess into new products, from windshields, to residential window panes, to everyday glass products that have nothing specifically to do with auto recycling.

Rubber

Roughly 5 percent of the weight of most vehicles is comprised of rubber. This includes tire rubber and various rubber components that are found under the hood and inside the cabin. The rubber can be recycled into a variety of new products in addition to tires and small car parts, including: rubber mulch for plant beds and playground turf, noise barriers, and boat bumpers.

Fluids

2 percent of the weight of most vehicles is composed of engine fluids, specifically: gasoline, transmission fluid, window washer fluid, motor oil, and antifreeze. If a provider of auto recycling is diligent enough, it can transport these fluids to a recycler of automotive fluids. Otherwise, the liquids would likely be drained into a liquid waste disposal system and removed for disposal.

Electrical Parts

Electrical parts, such as wiring, spark plugs, and light filaments compose roughly 1 percent of the weight of the average vehicle. These components are often recycled through the process of selling used auto parts, as one might buy from a professionally operated junkyard. Technically, these parts are reused and not recycled, but it still keeps them out of a landfill and in use.

Carpets

Carpets also account for roughly 1 percent of the average vehicle’s weight. In some cases, carpets are in no condition to be recycled, as they tend to develop holes, stains, and thinning upholstery over time. However, carpet can be combusted and reused as a form of energy, much the same way that old tires can be recovered and used to provide energy for work processes.

Battery

A vehicle’s battery typically accounts for about 1 percent of its total weight. A scrap metal recycler that receives cars that still have batteries may decide to sell the batteries to companies that specialize in recycling them. Because batteries contain toxic acid, it is important to choose a recycler that is dedicated to using green recycling practices to reprocess the old components.

Contact Wrench-A-Part Today

Now that you know how many recyclable materials your end-of-life vehicle contains, you can imagine what a positive difference it makes to different industries and the environment to have the components of the vehicle recycled. At Wrench-A-Part, we are dedicated to the recycling process, and forward all recyclable automotive materials to organizations that specialize in reusing them or disposing of them in the most environmentally friendly manner.

For more information about how we participate in the auto recycling process, call one of our locations in Austin, Belton, or Lubbock. We will help you recycle your vehicle!

The process of recycling a vehicle often involves several steps, one of which is deciding how to recycle the tires on the automobile. When they shop at junkyards, some drivers buy used tires that still have good tread and use them as replacement tires. But what happens to tires that aren’t purchased? In many cases, they are recycled using the methods below, among others.

Tire Retreading

Some tires have enough rubber around the wheel to be retreaded after the original threading has mostly worn away. Low profile tires like the ones you see on customized luxury vehicles may lack enough thickness for retreading, but high-profile tires, like the ones you often see on large pickup trucks and SUVs, are often good candidates for the tire retreading process.

Tire Grinding

Another option for recycling tires is tire grinding — a process in which tires are ground into small pieces that can be reprocessed and used for a wide variety of purposes, such as creating imitation mulch, paving playground areas with rubber, manufacturing roof tiles, creating highway noise control barriers, and creating crash barriers at racetracks, just to name a few.

Energy Recovery

Used tires can also be recycled by combusting them to produce energy. Tire rubber is known to burn hotter and longer than many other combustible materials. As long as the user has an energy recovery process in place that prevents combusted rubber from contributing to carbon pollution, using tires to produce energy can be a cheap, clean way to produce lots of power.

Rubber Devulcanization

A fourth option for recycling used tires is rubber devulcanization. Because it can be revulcanized to produce a variety of products, including boat fenders, turf for sports tracks, and highway guards, devulcanized rubber is highly valuable as a manufacturing material. There are four common methods of rubber devulcanization: chemical, ultrasonic, microwave, and biological.

Contact Wrench-A-Part

If you are interested in recycling a vehicle by selling or donating it to a junkyard, Wrench-A-Part is here to help. Not only will we pay you a competitive price for your end-of-life vehicle, or accept it as a donation. We will also send leftover recyclable materials from the automobile to recyclers. All you need to do is sell or donate your end-of-life vehicle to us, and we will handle the rest.

For more information about recycling a vehicle, or to receive a price quote, call one of our locations in Austin, Belton, or Lubbock to request a consultation, or fill out our contact form.

End of Life Vehicle Solutions (ELVS) — an industry-leading proponent of cutting edge auto recycling solutions and programs — recently announced the creation a free hotline that helps automotive dismantlers recycle high-voltage batteries, such as the kind you find in hybrid vehicles and electric automobiles. The hotline was established with three goals in mind.

1. Direct Dismantlers to Important Resources

When auto dismantlers call the hotline, they can be directed to information and training resources that support the “safe and compliant HV battery removal, handling, packaging, and shipping” of high-voltage batteries. This information assists dismantlers with disposing of the batteries in an eco friendly manner that doesn’t violate EPA regulations or state laws.

2. Assist Dismantlers With Compliant Battery Recovery and Removal

Calling the hotline can also supply auto dismantlers with in-depth information concerning “compliant HV battery recovery and disposal.” Having access to this information can assist dismantlers with developing eco friendly, efficient programs for battery recovery and removal. A single phone call is all it takes for auto dismantlers to acquire the information they need.

3. Connect Dismantlers With Battery Scrap Experts

Auto dismantlers typically don’t surrender recyclable batteries for free, nor should they. High-voltage batteries contain special materials that are valuable and recyclable. The NEVS hotline can put dismantlers in touch with battery scrap experts, who determine how much batteries should sell for based on the number of units and the technology they contain.

Wrench-A-Part and Battery Recovery

ELVS’ new battery recovery hotline is designed to assist auto dismantlers with the eco friendly recovery and disposal of high-voltage automotive batteries, as well as how much the batteries are worth to battery recyclers. So, what should you do if you are an individual who has an old junk car whose high-voltage battery, among other components, needs to be recycled?

One solution is to sell the vehicle to Wrench-A-Part for a competitive price, and let us delegate the battery recovery and removal process to auto recycling outfits that specialize in these tasks. We are dedicated to supporting the environment by participating in auto recycling. To learn how much your car is worth to us, call our nearest location today, or simply fill out this contact form.