Recycling Auto Plastics

The goal of ultimately having a means of recycling 100% of the components in US automobiles is not easy. We are a “scrap my car” company and the materials that we encounter working with junk cars & scrap vehicles are wide-ranging. When you sell a junk car we are obligated to insure that it is recycled (scrapped) in an environmentally sound manner. A material used in modern vehicles is plastic. In the May 5, 2015 edition of themoldingblog.com there’s a story by Doug Smock titled ‘Plastics Recycled from Cars: Yes, It’s Really Possible’ which discussed this aspect of auto recycling as follows: “The amount of plastics used in cars is increasing as manufacturers strive to reduce weight. Approximately 2M metric tons of plastic were present in end of life vehicles in the US in 2014. And that number will be rising. It’s easy to remove plastic bumpers, shred them & recycle the plastic. Getting at the massive amounts of plastic elsewhere in the car, particularly the interior, is challenging, but possible. The economics are fuzzy; the environmental benefit is compelling.

MBA Polymers, based in England, laid out the issues in an interesting paper presented at Antec in Orlando, FL. The residue left after dismantling & decontamination of old cars, large appliances and construction debris is shredded and then processed using magnets, eddy current separators & metal detection equipment to recover most of the metals. Raw shredder residue is plastic, rubber, wood, foam/textiles/paper/film mixture, wires and metal, and the remainder is tiny fines of various materials. Further processing yields a residue steam that is 84 percent plastic. Of, course, that’s a mishmash of many types of plastic. And there are residual automotive fluids from plastics used in fuel tanks, residues of paints and barrier materials and the presence of heavy metals. Still problems remain. There are color issues. Residual semi-volatile organic compounds create odors that pretty much rule out re-use in interior automotive applications. MBA Polymers does not recommend use of its products for use in toys, medical items or any food or oral applications due to possible contamination from “legacy” metals.

Recycled plastics typically have lower selling prices than virgin plastics, but special requirements can boost the cost. Costs are fairly stable because they are not tied to oil prices, but low virgin plastic prices have hurt the entire plastic industry. The real payoff, of course, is environmental. The Institute of Scrap Recycling Industries estimates that recycling of plastics from shredder residue could potentially result in annual savings of energy equivalent to 28.5M barrels of oil, savings of 40M cubic meters of landfill space, elimination of 1.6 to 4.8M metric tons of carbon dioxide and savings of 151M cubic meters of water.”

In summary, it is apparent that the auto industry will continue to use plastics in vehicle production, particularly in applications that it is a viable alternative to metals. The reduced weight and lower cost of plastics are clear advantages. It seems that the financial incentive to recycle plastic is not as strong compared to metal, but hopefully new innovations will increase efficiency and thus increase the savings from using recycled product.

Here at Cash 4 Cars Cleveland we allow you to sell a junk car quickly. To sell my car for cash in Moreland Hills, Maple Heights or University Heights, simply call 216-359-1010. Our scrap my car service is available throughout Warrensville Heights, Euclid and Garfield Heights. We offer free towing when you sell a junk car in Eastlake, Twinsburg and Lakewood. If looking for a place to sell my car for cash, visit https://www.cash4carscleveland.com to get fast scrap my car service in Linndale Village, Newburgh Heights, Middleburg Heights. We are the solution if considering whether to sell my car for cash in Parma, Beachwood and Bedford.  Those in Bentleyville Village, Tremont and Bratenahl can contact our junk car buyer for price on recycling your vehicle.  Residents of Chagrin Falls, Mayfield Heights and Lake County are encouraged to get cash for cars. If your car is facing a hefty repair bill from a Conrads, Firestone, Goodyear or other repair shop in South Euclid, Cleveland Heights, or Wickliffe, simply call us for junk car removal. We are proud to be a scrap car hauler and cash for clunkers provider in Brecksville, Bainbridge, East Cleveland and Chesterland.