Perhaps the most complex machines that anyone will ever attempt to recycle is an automobile. Cars and trucks, though full of valuable metals, are also full of plastics, glass and a great many toxic materials that must be disposed of properly.
About 12% of most vehicles are made up of these toxic materials that are all but impossible to recycle. They include upholstery, solvents, paints and fluids and, are all examples of these chemicals that should be parted out and sent to a hazardous waste facility. However, more often than not, they are simply crushed after the valuable parts have been removed.
The reuse of old parts for refurbishing and removal of steel is a good example of what can be done with non-hazardous parts. However, the labor required to remove these parts can actually be rather high, but so are the recycling rates and the potential return.
You can keep your own car out of this cycle by getting routine maintenance and making sure that its parts are replaced, with recycled and refurbished parts whenever possible.
