If you’ve been keeping up with the Take My Scrap Car blog, you’ll no doubt remember that we recently posted a piece on car recycling in the US. The facts and figures we shared generated quite a bit of interest among our readers, so we figured we’d extend the prior post with a few more nuggets of knowledge. 
So for those with an interest in how they do things over the pond, here’s another rundown of a few more car recycling stats from America:
1 – While it may be a $25 billion industry, vehicle recycling in the United States is fundamentally dependent on small businesses. In fact, research shows that no less than 75% of all the car recycling businesses in the country have a workforce of less than 10 people.
2 – The car recycling industry is also fully committed to ensuring that any parts and pieces that can be reused are put back into use as quickly as possible. And when they do, they cost up to 80% less than new car parts and do not waste any energy by going through the recycling process.
3 – Right now, around 25% of the body of every new car produced in the United States is made from recycled steel. In total, the US produces about 14 million tons of steel every year from recycled cars and car parts alone.
4 – On a global basis, the number of cars being taken away for recycling each and every year has increased to an incredible 27 million.
5 – Even with such impressive technological advances, the recycling industry still has a long way to go in general. While approximately 80% of everything that goes into a vehicle can be recycled, the other 20% cannot…at least, not yet. From certain plastics to rubber to nonferrous metals, 20% of each scrap car still makes its way to landfills – 5 million tons every year in the US.
6 – Up to 50% of the total scrap value of any given vehicle comes from its aluminium content. While there is much less aluminium in the average car and its weight is considerably lower than its steel content, it is nonetheless worth a lot more.
7 – Contrary to popular belief, up to 99% of all car batteries manufactured today can be recycled. The plastic cases of car batteries are often used to create plant pots!
8 – Responsible vehicle recycling and the promotion thereof has been credited with significantly reducing road traffic accident rates and general injuries on the roads. Along with keeping the roads clear of abandoned vehicles, it also encourages the public to get rid of cars that have become unsafe to drive.
9 – There are certain components in a car which if left to their own devices would take literally thousands of years to degrade.
10 – Last but not least, tens of millions of waste tyres are recycled in the US every year, summarily being used to make everything from new tyres to roadways to sandals and even chew-toys for dogs!
That’s all for now – stay tuned with Take My Scrap Car for more pearls of wisdom!
