What happens when my vehicle is recycled?

When a scrap car is recycled, it goes through a long and detailed process which eventually leads to the metal of the car being shredded and the car stripped of valuable parts. Many people scrap their unwanted or end of life car for a number of reasons. They might want a bit of extra cash, they might want to upgrade to a newer car however, doing this creates has a huge environmental impact.

Step 1: Removing Hazardous Substances from Your Scrap Car

Firstly, when your car is scrapped it is removed of any harmful substances. This part of the process is called vehicle de-pollution. The substances that are removed are batteries, coolant, fuel, brake fluid and windscreen wash. When scrapping cars, its essential to check that these substances are removed and thrown away in a controlled manner which is why this is the first step. With more and more cars being scrapped each year, these substances may cause a large environmental impact if not dealt with in the correct manner. After all the substances have been disposed of, the car is checked again and the systems that the liquids came from are flushed through to make sure there is no excess fluids or materials left over.

Step 2: Dismantling Your Scrap Car

The next stage of recycling a car is dismantling. The glass in a car can be reused continuously. When glass is removed from a car it is grounded down to sand and then heated to be made into glass again. Tyres are often removed and reused for other vehicles. Catalytic converters are valuable but hazardous when their ceramic inner is opened. It is essential to have these removed from the car to be dismantled separately.

After all these items are removed, there will be further discussion at the recycling plant on other materials in the scrap car that can be removed. This may include fabric that will be removed from the interior and electrical components that can be recycled.

Plastic from the scrap car could also be removed when dismantling. The parts of the car that are made from plastic will usually be dashboards and bumpers. These parts are often reused in other vehicles if in good condition.

Step 3: The Destruction of Your Scrap Car

This process means that the scrap car will be destroyed, recycled and reused. The recycling plant will mainly use a hydraulic press to compress the scrap car. This makes the vehicles a lot smaller which allows the metal to be shredded much easier. The recycling centre will use a high-powered shredder. After this, the metal will be separated from any excess materials like plastic using a magnet. The metal will then be placed in a chemical solution which allows a layer of tin to be removed. The tin is there to protect the steel from rusting. The tin will dissolve in the solution and can be recovered after. Now the metal has no protecting coating, it is ready to be melted down. The metal will be shaped into flat sheets and can be used again in many places.

This long process of scrapping and recycling your car instead of the vehicle being sent to landfill will have a positive impact on the environment. Here at Scrap My Car Company we make sure your vehicle is recycled in the correct way with all the correct legislation. All you need to do is fill in your details on our website to get a free quote! We offer the best prices for your scrap car and cover many locations in Hertfordshire.