![](/remote/aHR0cHM6Ly9naWVjZG4uYmxvYi5jb3JlLndpbmRvd3MubmV0L2ZpbGV1cGxvYWRzL2ltYWdlL2VuZ2luZS1zdG9yYWdlLTIuanBn.5F8dBxpiW7c.jpg?w=948&h=533&format=webp&mode=pad&anchor=middlecenter&scale=both&bgcolor=F0F1F2)
By reclaiming auto parts for reuse, then recycling the steel and aluminum left in vehicles at the end of their lives, members of the Automotive Recyclers of Massachusetts (ARM), Southbridge, Massachusetts, reduce the state’s carbon footprint by at least 2.2 million tons of carbon dioxide annually, according to a new study completed at Worcester Polytechnic Institute (WPI).
The study, “Assessing the Environmental Impact of Automotive Recyclers of Massachusetts,” was sponsored by ARM and conducted independently by four WPI seniors as their major qualifying project to complete their degrees in mechanical engineering.
“What the automotive recyclers are doing is saving materials, saving energy and impacting the environment in a positive way, thus adding value to the economy of the state,” says Professor Brajendra Mishra, Ph.D., director of the Metal Processing Institute at WPI and advisor for the study.
Through site visits and a survey of ARM member companies, the WPI team examined operations at auto recycling facilities across Massachusetts and documented their processes for reclaiming auto parts, recycling metals and capturing fluids such oil, gasoline and antifreeze to process properly.
The study found an estimated 165,000 vehicles are recycled by ARM members in a typical year. The team calculated the energy saved by reusing auto parts from those vehicles, like engines and transmissions versus manufacturing new parts. They also calculated the energy saved by recycling the steel and aluminum left in the vehicles rather than mining ores and refining new metals. That analysis showed 2.2 million tons of the leading greenhouse gas, carbon dioxide (CO2), was saved by reducing the need to refine new materials and manufacture new auto parts.
Fostering a circular economy across many industries is vital for the long-term sustainability of our society, Mishra adds. “The total primary resource available on the Earth is going down. The quality of these resources is going down. Whereas, with the increase in population, the demand for materials is increasing, so we have no other choice but to recycle these materials and put them back into the system,” he says.
The full study and a video interview with Mishra are available at http://bit.ly/2xzEjwf.
Latest from Recycling Today
- Hensel Recycling, Mastermelt Ltd. announce collaboration
- Nederman MikroPul’s commitment to clean air solutions
- Nederman MikroPul’s FS Baghouse Technology: The preferred solution for secondary aluminum
- Nederman MikroPul’s FS Dust Collector with Secondary Filtration
- Tomra e-book looks at aluminum sorting tech
- Norske Skog mill conversion project is behind schedule
- Ecovery adds secondary aluminum capacity
- Sibanye-Stillwater Group integrates recently acquired Abington Reldan Metals LLC