Disposing of a car once it reaches the end of its useful working life can be something of a hassle -- this can be especially true if you vehicle has taken a visible beating over the years, and does not attract the attentions of private buyers or dealerships offering part-exchanges. However, if your vehicle is getting too old and battered to sell in one piece as a roadworthy car, taking it to a professional wreckers yard for disassembly and scrapping can be an excellent alternative.

Having your vehicle wrecked in this way can be surprisingly lucrative, especially if you car is an older model with good potential for use as spare parts. There is, however, another advantage to wrecking your car, as it helps to protect the environment in a number of ways:

Taking old engines off the road

Even if your venerable old car is still capable of running, taking it off the road for wrecking can still be the environmentally conscious option. This is because older vehicles, particularly old diesels, pump out larger amounts of greenhouse gases and other noxious fumes than vehicles sporting more modern engines. Wrecking your car and using the proceeds to purchase a more modern vehicle therefore lowers the amount of unwanted pollution being released into the atmosphere, and significantly lowers your individual carbon footprint.

Safe disposal of hazardous components

Leftover traces of gasoline, diesel or motor oil are notorious for contaminating soil and groundwater when allowed to leak, and simply taking your vehicle to the local dump and cause significant damage to the local environment through leakage. Dumped vehicles, particularly older models, can also contain a laundry list of toxic heavy metals contained within radiators, catalytic converters and other components. Even the interior trim of some vehicles can contain toxic elements such as lead and mercury, as well as volatile organic compounds.

Taking your vehicle to a dedicated wreckers yard is an excellent way to avoid your car meeting such an environmentally damaging fate, as they will separate your vehicle into its individual components and either dispose of them or sell them on in an appropriate manner. Components containing dangerous chemicals, such as antifreeze-filled radiators, are inspected and disassembled in a controlled environment before being sold on or scrapped, preventing any accidental contamination of the surrounding environment.

Recycling functional components

Having your car wrecked can also mean a new lease of life for components of your car that remain in good condition, such as door sills, rims and undamaged interior trim. These components are generally sold and fitted to other vehicles, with older components particularly prized for restoring old vehicle models -- as such, the need to manufacture new vehicle parts is reduced, meaning less wasted resources and less wasted energy used to create new components.

Even the non-functional parts of your old car can still be put to some use. Compacted steel and aluminium from crushed vehicles is readily recyclable and used in a wide variety of situations, while other metal components (such as copper wiring) can often be pulled out of broken components and repurposed for use in working vehicles.

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