Car salvage is strictly regulated by the normative 2000/53/CE: anyone who does not follow such regulations is penalised with arrest and heavy fines. To avoid environmental contamination, when a car is stripped if its usable parts, it is vital to properly collect the oil, acids, mercury, compressed gas, etc. For example, gasoline and motor oil are toxic to marine life and can spread to nearby bodies of water through stormwater runoff.
The acids found in car batteries can leach into the soil and affect its chemical balance. Contamination can lead to a decline in plant and human health.
Unfortunately, in Albania, we have a long way to go.
NORMATIVE
2000/53/CE:
Decision no. 705, dated 10.10.2012:
Main Rules
By 1st of January 2015, for all the end-of-life vehicles, the percentage of re-use and recovery is at least 95% of the average weight per vehicle.
Trade in “ recovered” spare parts with the exception of those relating to the safety of the vehicle (identified in Annex III) is permitted.
Vehicle manufacturers are responsive for the end-of-life vehicles, organizing directly or indirectly, on an individual or collected basis, a network of “collection centres” appropriately distributed throughout the related country.
Anyone who carries out activities for the management of end-of-life vehicles and of waste consisting of the relative components and materials in violation of compliance with the prescriptions and obligations, is punished with arrest from six months to two years and with a fine of 3,000 euros to 30,000 euros.
Materials released into the environment from car destruction.
BUMPERS
DASHBOARD
TANKS
CATALYST
TIRES
Oil: Oil from car engines is extremely polluting to the environment and needs to be disposed of appropriately rather than dumped into landfills or places that can contaminate waterways and groundwater.
“it takes only one litre of oil to contaminate one million litres of water.” Even though oil is dirty, it can be cleaned, re-used and incorporated in other products.
Metals: An average car contains over a metric tonne of steel, so the fact that auto recyclers have, historically, tended to concentrate on steel car parts should come as no surprise.
Once a car has been dismantled, most steel parts can be separated, magnetically, from other recyclable materials, melted down and rolled into new flat sheet steel, with no loss of quality.
Recycled steel can be used for a variety of purposes, including cars, construction materials and steel cans, at a fraction of the cost, compared to the energy and resources needed to manufacture the same items by smelting ‘virgin’ iron ore.
Auto glasses: For safety purposes, automotive glass is typically laminated or tempered, which traditionally makes it difficult to recycle. However, recycling techniques have improved over the years, such that glass is a fundamental part of scrap car recycling.
Recycled glass, broken into smaller pieces, known as cullet, melts at a lower temperature than silica sand and the other raw materials required to manufacture glass from scratch.
Consequently, the use of reclaimed automotive glass not only reduces the quantity of glass entering landfills, but it also saves energy and reduces air and water pollution. Furthermore, once reclaimed, glass can be recycled over and over again.
Plastic Car Parts: Nowadays, literally dozens of tough, lightweight plastics are used in cars, so the salvage of plastic car parts, such as dashboards, bumpers and so on, is another sound reason to recycle your car for cash.
An average car already contains up 200kg of plastic parts, mainly injection moulded, which can be separated, shredded and broken down into long chain molecules called polymers.
Recycling plastic keeps valuable raw materials out of landfills and allows them to be reused in products such as recycled auto parts, carpets and garden furniture, among others.
Car Batteries: Recycling of lead-acid car batteries prevents the leaking of sulphuric acid and lead into the environment.
Lead is a highly toxic substance and causes health issues if ingested, such as brain and kidney damage. The less lead in the environment the better.