Cars were not designed to work forever, you will have to devote time into maintaining them and this requires the frequent removal and replacement of old or worn out parts. Asides regular maintenance, when accidents occur, you will also need to replace or dispose the entire car if the damage is severe. So, instead of dumping your used or ruined car parts in dumpsites, or sending them away for safe disposal, you can put in a little effort to recycle them.

Recycling car parts greatly contribute to the reduction of waste building up in landfills as well as the harm it causes to our planet in general. Cars already contribute to air pollution in crowded cities, we can’t afford to allow their parts make matters worse.

You can locate a recycling center and help combat the buildup of unnecessary waste, these 11 car parts can be recycled to save our planet!

1. Car tires

As you already know, tires are no-degradable. When they are not recycled, they simply take up a lot of space at dumping sites. Burning tires isn’t an option either, they pollute the air with toxins and produce a flammable runoff.

When removed in good condition, they can be fixed up and reused on other vehicles, they can also be turned into brand new tires. On the other hand, damaged tires can still be recycled and function as fuel, artificial playground turf, rubberized highway asphalt, and even artwork.

Tires can be recycled and re-purposed as fuel

2. Rubber Hoses

The rubber hoses from automobiles, just like water/garden hoses, can be taken to any recycling center for processing rather than adding them to a pile of waste.

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3. Oil and oil filters

Oil doesn’t actually wear out, it only gets dirty and when the oil is disposed improperly, it contributes to the contamination of soil and water sources. The oil is very much reusable, so when replacing it, take the used oil to a collection center or auto shop that recycles its oil. The oil can be filtered thoroughly and reused as brand-new oil.

As much as oil can be reused, oil filters can also be recycled. Each oil filter contains approximately one pound of steel and can be fully drained of excess oil and reused in steel manufacturing.

Discarded motor oil leads to contaminated soil and water sources

4. Engine and emission system parts

Automobile engines and various emission parts can actually last for a long period and can also be re-manufactured after removal. Engines can be disassembled, cleaned, reconditioned, and sold again for use in future vehicles. Damaged or already disposed engines can also be rebuilt with advanced technology and materials that make them function better and stay environmentally friendly.

Although some emission parts are exclusive to certain car models, spark plugs, radiators, transmissions, and catalytic converters can be of immense value to manufacturers who intend to use them again.

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5. Auto glass

Disposed automotive glass is versatile. It can be transformed into glass bottles, fiberglass insulation, counters, concrete blocks, floor tiles, worktops, and jewelry. The plastic encasing the original glass can also be repurposed as carpet glue and other applications.

Broken windshields are usually seen as a total waste and are often piled up in dump sites around the world, this is largely because the glass component is sealed between two layers of protective plastic.

However, with technological advancements, the recyclable glass can be removed seamlessly and several windshield replacement companies now collaborate with recycling centers to repurpose the glass. Right now, there are companies aiming to reduce waste by specializing in automotive glass recycling.

Automotive glass can be transformed into fiberglass insulation, concrete blocks, etc.

6. Belts

Belts and chains are among the most important components that make your car function properly. If they're not damaged or don’t necessarily need replacement, they can be taken from a scrap car and used again.

7. Scrap metal

A damaged or abandoned car comes with doors, aluminum rims, door handles, fenders, side mirrors, headlight bezels, and steel wheels. Every metal part on your current car can be easily melted down and turned into something useful. Scrap yards will weigh and price a car based on the parts can still be used. As soon as they take out the parts that can be recycled or disposed, the remaining parts of the vehicle, which is metal, will be crushed into unrecognizable metal cubes.

How car is recycled? Watch this video!

8. Carpets and mats

Recycled rubber is often used to make new car mats, and the process works in the opposite direction as well. Just like tires, carpets are almost never bio-degradable, and five billion pounds of it is sent to the landfill every year.

9. Plastic components

This might sound a little strange to you but cars actually contain a substantial amount of plastic. Everything from dashboards to gas tanks are often made from recyclable plastic materials.

When a car is no longer in use, lights, bumpers, and other interior features can be separated from the rest of the car and chopped or melted for conversion into new products. Also, if the plastic materials are not a written-off, they can be sold to certain repair shops as spare parts/replacement pieces.

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10. Batteries and other electronics

Car batteries are often in a good and reusable condition. Batteries and other electronics usually contain lead and other chemicals that can contaminate the environment if dumped inappropriately.

During the recycling process, the battery is put through a hammer mill and broken into small pieces. These pieces flow to a container where the heavier materials like lead, sink to the bottom for siphoning, leaving the plastic on top for removal. The plastic gets melted into pellets and sold to manufacturers to make into new battery cases, then the lead is melted down and eventually used as plates and other battery components.

Old battery acid gets converted into sodium sulfate for use in detergent, glass, and textiles.

For old battery acid, they get converted into sodium sulfate for use in detergent, glass, and textiles.

Some states require auto shops to send old batteries back to manufacturers or to recycling centers, while car owners are also rewarded after exchanging old batteries for new ones.

11. Starters and alternators

Starters and alternators are usually more expensive when purchased as brand new but they can be re-manufactured. So, since they’re re-usable, choosing to recycle them makes sense for both environmental and financial reasons.

Whether you're changing a few parts of your car or dumping the entire vehicle, there’s a very big chance that the car parts you no longer need can either be recycled or remanufactured for a second time.

Now that you know, this is your chance to contribute to the world and reduce the existence of unnecessary dump sites.

>>> Do visit our full page on car news & maintenance tips at Naijacarnews.com!