If your car is precious to you, you probably think “Why do I need to scrap my vehicle when I could just keep it in my garage?”. Although a car can hold a sentimental value, that doesn’t mean it hasn’t run it’s course and can be used for its parts.. In order to save yourself from further wear and tear of the car, pollution and maintenance, it is imperative to scrap vehicles in due course.
Here in the UK, recycling has become a habit that we strongly support. Therefore, we now routinely separate our paper, cardboard, and bottles and safely recycle them. Additionally, cars hold the highest rate of recycling out of any other product you can buy. In this article, you’ll learn about why you need to send your vehicles for scrap. Let us start with the basics first, stay tuned for more.
Why Are Vehicles Scrapped?
Selling a car to a scrap buyer or yard indicates it is no longer needed or wanted. Once there, it will be cleaned up and recycled into resources for building or other automobiles. Instead, vehicles that are still safe to drive may be used as salvage, where they are either disassembled to repair other vehicles or repaired so that they can be driven again.
Vehicles used to be scrapped back in the day too. Although in recent years, scrapping policies all over the world has made it the centre of attention when it comes to recycling.
When Should I Scrap My Vehicle?
You might decide to scrap or salvage your car for a variety of reasons. In the end, the decision to keep your car or not is entirely up to you. The following are a few of the most common justifications for why people scrap vehicles:
1. When the repair costs are higher. Many people find themselves in a situation where the repair costs of the vehicle are higher than the value of the vehicle itself. So if your car is worth more as a non-runner-, it might be time to send it for scrapping.
2. The vehicle is written off. Your car is probably either beyond repair or too expensive to attempt to fix if it has been deemed an insurance write-off. In general, your car is not in good shape, and now would be a good opportunity to find out how much it would be worth as scrap instead.
3. It’s not worth enough for a sale. Your car might not even be worth enough money to sell after a certain amount of time and wear and tear. Therefore, it is better for your time and money to arrange for your car to be scrapped if it’s worn out or needs expensive repairs.
4. You want to dispose of it hassle-free. When you know it’s time to let go of your car, you want an easier way out. Thus, it is much quicker and easier to sell it for scrap.
5. When the vehicle isn’t fuel efficient. Cars that use a lot of fuel can end up being very expensive over time. Thus, you might find it difficult to sell an older vehicle due to the popularity of electric technology. Additionally, improvements in fuel efficiency for newer vehicles, leaving scrapping as an efficient alternative.
How are Vehicles Scrapped?
Here is a quick summary of some of the key steps in the recycling plan:
1. Process of gathering reusable parts. Reusable parts are examined and divided into salvageable portions that can be sold on or be safely disposed of after they have been used up.
2. Process of De-pollution. Vehicles up to 3.5 tonnes in weight that are scrapped must be disposed of in an ecologically friendly manner. Additionally, traditional batteries and hazardous waste materials like oil, coolant, and other automotive fluids are drained and disposed of appropriately.
3. Shredding process. A shredder is used to shred the vehicle into little pieces, which are then segregated based on the material they are made of.
4. Magnetising. Industrial magnets are used to remove the various fragments of steel from the conveyor belt as it moves along, leaving the plastics and non-ferrous metals behind. Steel makes nearly 70% of a car’s weight and is very expensive when it is unprocessed.
5. Vacuum Process. Using a vacuum, the softer, non-ferrous components are removed. To prepare them for cleaning in the following stage, foams, rubbers, textiles, and light plastics are extracted.
6. Process of Gasification. The materials stated above were previously disposed of in landfills, but now they are heated up and converted into gas by tall rotating boxes. Two tonnes of garbage may produce enough energy to run the typical home for a whole year when combined with this gas to create steam, which is then utilised to create electricity.
Benefits of Scrapping Your Vehicle
Old, rusty vehicles feature sharp edges that have a high potential for inflicting significant injury.In the same way, leaky liquids and peeling paint can both be exceedingly poisonous and offer serious health risks. Then there is the fire risk that oil leaks present. You can spare yourself a lot of grief by scrapping your car.
Moreover, there’s laws in the UK that prevent people from leaving their vehicles in an unrepaired state. If your vehicle is in such a state as well, it could possibly make you vulnerable to prosecution if you don’t have it scrapped soon.
Lastly, a rusted vehicle in a state of disrepair can attract pests, vandals and other such undesirables. If you wish to save yourself from these troubles, it’s best to bid adieu to your vehicle.
Conclusion
In this article, we briefly introduced you to some information about scrap vehicles. Therefore, if you’re also looking to scrap your vehicle, Slough Scrap Metals is just the place for you. Visit our website to learn more.