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Car recycling: how much of your old car is reused - pictures

A selection of images of the car recycling process

by: Auto Express team
25 Feb 2022
Go to: Car recycling: how much of your old car is reused?
  • Car recycling - header

    "Once the processes are running at full tilt, only one per cent of cars could be left uncrecycled."

  • Lithium ion battery recycling
  • Car recycling - Step 1: de-pollute

    De-pollute - Only one of the UK's Authorised Treatment Facilities can issue a certificate of destruction needed to scrap a car.

  • Car recycling - Step 2: shredder

    Shredder - The huge shredder breaks scrap cars into tiny pieces, which are then placed on a conveyor to be separated.

  • Car recycling - Step 3: magnets

    Magnets - Steel makes up over two thirds of a car's weight, and once it's been retrieved, it's exported.

  • Car recycling - Finnerty and Carus

    EMR Group's Graham Carus (right), explains the process to consumer editor Joe Finnerty.

  • Car recycling - Step 4: vacuum

    Vacuum - Large vacuum lifts the lighter materials, like fabrics and plastics, away from steel so it can be recycled.

  • Car recycling - Step 5: heavy media

    Heavy media - Operatives separate the remaining metals using flotation, so aluminium parts can be removed from the conveyor.

  • Car recycling - Step 6: plastic polymers

    Plastic polymers - Pellets are the product of recycling different types of plastic from inside the car, and they're used for new moulds.

  • Car recycling - Step 7: gasification

    Gasification - This huge site in the West Midlands converts lighter cabin materials into gas, which is then fed back into the National Grid.

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