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The most recycled consumer product; Probably not what you think
Topic Started: Jan 3 2008, 08:19 AM (184 Views)
big al
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Bull-Carp
*** From Can To Car, To Can Again at Ford *** By Brad Kenney (Industry Week magazine)

Ask someone on the street what consumer item they think is recycled more than any other in the U.S. and they're likely to guess "newspapers" or "soda bottles." Most people probably wouldn't say "cars" -- but that is, in fact, the answer.

According to the company, roughly 85% of each Ford vehicle is recyclable. The Dearborn, Mich.-based auto manufacturer is working with rivals Chrysler and GM through the United States Council for Automotive Research (USCAR) and its Vehicle Recycling Partnership to push for a 100% recyclable content vehicle.

According to the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), more than 95%of all end-of-life vehicles in the U.S. are processed for recycling. That's compared to 52% of all paper and 31% of all plastic soft drink bottles.

The EPA calls recycling one of the best environmental success stories of the late 20th century, reporting that the practice diverted more than 72 million tons of material away from landfills and incinerators in 2003, up from 34 million tons in 1990 -- doubling in just 10 years.

The agency cites several key benefits of recycling, including:

* Protects and expands U.S. manufacturing jobs and increases U.S. competitiveness in the global marketplace
* Reduces the need for landfilling and incineration
* Saves energy and prevents pollution caused by the extraction and processing of virgin materials and the manufacture of products using virgin materials
* Decreases emissions of greenhouse gases that contribute to global climate change
* Conserves natural resources such as timber, water and minerals
* Helps sustain the environment for future generations

Re-use is a big part of the recycling story. Auto recyclers supply more than a third of all ferrous scrap to the U.S. scrap processing industry. When manufacturers use scrap iron and steel instead of virgin ore, they reduce air and water pollution by more than half during the manufacturing process.

For example, steel food cans contain up to 30% recycled steel, while household appliances and car bodies are made with about 25% recycled steel.


Big Al
Location: Western PA

"jesu, der simcha fun der man's farlangen."
-bachophile
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Mikhailoh
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If you want trouble, find yourself a redhead
Outstanding article, Al. One thing I have wondered about as India and China develop their economies and become larger consumers is where, oh where, is the steel, etc. goiong to come from for all the automobiles they will be wanting.

Recycling is surely our future.

Once in his life, every man is entitled to fall madly in love with a gorgeous redhead - Lucille Ball
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The 89th Key
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I invented recycling.
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Free Rider
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Fulla-Carp
Interesting article.

By saying 95% get "processed for recycling" I take that to mean they wind up in junkyards.

Saying 85% of a car is recyclable is vastly different from saying 85% of a car IS recycled.

Just food for thought.
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big al
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Bull-Carp
No, actually they ultimately end up in furnaces making new steel. In a number of recent years there has been more steel from old cars recycled than was used to produce new cars. That represented a draw-down of old stock in junkyards and backyards. ThIs set of graphs from the Steel Recycling Institute shows rates for a variety of steel containing products: 2006 Steel Recycling graphs

Big Al
Location: Western PA

"jesu, der simcha fun der man's farlangen."
-bachophile
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Free Rider
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Fulla-Carp
I'm glad to hear that.
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