What Happens to Vehicles at the End of Their Road?

What Happens to Vehicles at the End of Their Road? In the United States, They Are Recycled, MEMA Says

Research Triangle Park, N.C. -- What happens to U.S. cars and light trucks at the end of their road - when they are no longer reliable transportation? According to the Motor & Equipment Manufacturers Association (MEMA), more than 76% of each scrapped U.S. vehicle (by weight) is recycled.

Frank Hampshire, MEMA director of research, notes that more than 10 million vehicles reach the end of their useful lives each year in the United States. An unfortunate public misconception is that scrapped vehicles have little or no value, according to Hampshire. "The reality is that the scrapped vehicles and remanufactured parts represent a tremendous value to American consumers," he said.

Scrapped automobiles are not sent to the local landfill - they are salvaged for reusable parts, steel, and iron. According to the Steel Recycling Institute, the steel industry recycled enough steel from old cars in 1999 to produce more than 13 million new vehicles - a 91% recycling rate.

"In addition to the scrapped vehicle recycling, the parts remanufacturing industry also recycles more than $37 billion in parts each year through rebuilding and remanufacturing," Hampshire said. Vehicle components such as oil, batteries, filters, coolants, and parts are recycled throughout the vehicle's life.

The Filter Manufacturers Council (FMC) - a MEMA product group - reports that one in two used oil filters in the United States was recycled in 1999. The Scrap Tire Management Council reports that 177.5 million scrapped tires annually are going into a specific market - ground and used in products such as playground cover, soil additives, or flooring/matting; burned as an alternative fuel source; or utilized in civil engineering projects.

The United States is the world trend setter in scrapped vehicle recycling. In the European Union (EU), the scrapped vehicle issue has become a major matter of concern. The EU has passed mandatory takeback and recycling programs which hold producers responsible for their cars' post-life.

"Such mandates are unnecessary in the United States, with successful voluntary vehicle recycling and parts remanufacturing already taking place," said Hampshire.

Founded in 1904, MEMA exclusively represents and serves more than 700 North American manufacturers of motor vehicle components, tools and equipment, automotive chemical and related products used in the production, repair, and maintenance of all classes of motor vehicles. MEMA is headquartered in Research Triangle Park, N.C., and has offices in Washington, D.C.; Kansas City, Mo.; Yokohama, Japan; Brussels, Belgium; Mexico City, Mexico; and Sao Paulo, Brazil. The Original Equipment Suppliers Association (OESA), MEMA's affiliate association that serves automotive original equipment suppliers exclusively, is located in Troy, Mich. More information is available from the MEMA Web site, www.mema.org.

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