The automobile industry got its start in the United States around the 1890s. Since then it has grown into one of the largest manufacturing industries in the world, with 8-10 million units rolling off the assembly line annualy. Of the 253 million runners on the road today, roughly 12-15 million cars will end their lives in a junkyard this year alone.

From here they are lined up, or stacked to await the process of recycling. While waiting to be fed to the crushing machines that render them into tiny, although still extremely heavy hunks of metal, they are picked over by mechanics, restoration specialists, and parts dealers all looking to capitalize on the remaining parts that can be resold at a profit.

Once they are picked over by parts scavengers they are torn apart, and broken down, so that the salvage yard can separate the recyclable metal from the rest of the less valuable material. The steel and other metal is then collected for sale and delivery to waiting steel mills, who pay the going rate for recycled steel, or whatever other type of material is reclaimed.

As recycling becomes more important, roughly 75% of the material found in an old junker can currently be repurposed providing the steel industry with over 14 million tons of processed pot metal per year.

These efforts have made a huge dent in lowering the amount of material dropped into the world’s landfills. It is 74% more energy efficient to recycle steel than it is to make it from scratch, and the amount of power saved by this process could power 18 million houses each year. Want to hear what that means in relation to the amount of foreign dependent oil that is used to make new stuff every year? How about 85 million barrels annually; that is the same amount of oil used by the entire world every single day!

When you consider the cost saving factors of recycling older vehicles it makes sense to contact a salvage professional, and see exactly how much of your dead classic can be stripped and used again elsewhere.

Minnesota Car Buyer is one such company that specializes in helping people realize the value of having their wrecked van, truck, or car inspected, and assessed to determine if energy saving decision can be made.

Pick up your phone and call us today, you can shoot us a couple of pictures, if you like, or we can have one of our highly qualified service professionals come right to your home, and offer a free evaluation of any old, non running heap you might have parked around your property.

We will make you an offer on the spot, and pay you directly at the time of purchase, and even haul away your space stealing clunker at no additional charge.