It’s inevitable. One day that car sitting in everyone’s front yard will have to go to the junkyard. They have likely had wonderful times in that car and are even a little sorry to see it go, but they all do at one time or another. Soon, that family is building memories in a new car, but most never ask the question: what happens to the old one once it’s hauled away?
Yes, some people sell it to another person, but eventually, they all end up in the same place. The destination of that car is the same as where some ten million other cars end up as well: the junkyard. That’s where most cars go for recycling, but they don’t usually sit around just gathering dust. They’re actually in use, though most people visiting a junkyard or scrapyard wouldn’t know it.
Many cars are spared being melted down for several years because they’re common models. Yes, people always want to be special and one of a kind, but for old cars, the more common the model, the more likely there are to be a few kept around, because of all those other models on the road that get in car crashes or need repairs. To keep costs down, many automotive businesses will call junkyards to see if they can get a part off of a junked car because a used part costs less than a new one! Car recyclers know which to keep and which to get rid of, allowing for them to be useful long after they’ve left the road.
Many people should be relieved to know that when cars are crushed or melted down, many of the parts from those cars are actually recycled into new cars. Many people don’t realize it, but up to eighty percent of that car they had hauled away can actually end up as part of a brand new car!
Even that’s not where the recycling ends! Gas is still a valuable commodity in today’s world and saving as much of it as possible is part of what scrapyards do. Many vehicles that are the victim of car crashes or major breakdowns still have tanks full of fuel. It’s the scrap car removal industry that can reclaim about eighty-five million barrels of fuel every year.
Scrap car removal companies are also responsible for ensuring that the environment is spared some of the worst results of what leaving hulks in backyards results in environmental damage. The gas, oil, and other fluids left in a car will eventually seep into the car as it degrades over time. That can have terrible consequences on groundwater and animals in the vicinity. Removal of those vehicles ensures that doesn’t happen.
So, what happens to a vehicle taken away by a tow truck? A lot! That’s why it’s important to remember that selling a car for scrap is worth having taken it away, because it’s going to do far more than sit in a different yard.
