Scrap your clunker and get up to $3,000 back from Ford and up to $982 in fuel savings
OAKVILLE, ON, Sept. 30, 2011 /CNW/ - Starting October 1, consumers who turn in their vehicles for recycling (2005 models or older) will get up to $3,000 toward the purchase of a new vehicle from the Ford Motor Company of Canada, Limited.
Ford's 'Recycle Your Ride' program is a great way for consumers looking to save on their next vehicle while doing their part for the environment. Since the program was first offered in 2009, Ford's Recycle Your Ride program has retired more than 50,000 old, polluting vehicles - enough to circle the globe twice. This has eliminated approximately 474,308 metric tonnes of smog forming emissions - that's enough to fill more than 260,000 garbage bags.
"In today's uncertain economic times, the Ford Recycle Your Ride program means more people can now afford a new car with the latest in vehicle safety, fuel economy and smart technology," said David Mondragon, president and CEO, Ford of Canada. "It's a win-win-win for the consumer, the economy and the environment. I am proud to say that Ford of Canada has helped to recycle more vehicles than any other auto manufacturer."
To qualify for the Ford Recycle Your Ride program:
Visit your closest Ford dealer with your 2005 or older running vehicle that has been properly registered or insured for the last three months to confirm your eligibility.
Purchase or lease your new Ford vehicle and receive the Recycle Your Ride incentive, over and above current incentives.
*Program details available on www.ford.ca starting October 1, 2011.
Newer vehicles emit up to 19 times less smog-forming emissions and achieve much higher fuel efficiency than older models. For example:
An average driver who moves from a typical 1995 model year compact car to a 2012 Ford Focus, could save approximately $343 a year on gas
An average driver who moves from a typical 1995 model year mid-size car to a 2012 Ford Fusion four-cylinder could save approximately $483 a year on gas
An average driver who moves from a typical 1995 model year mid-size SUV 4X4 to a 2012 Ford Edge with an EcoBoost engine save approximately $982 a year on gas
**Based on fuel consumption values from NRCan's Fuel Consumption Guide for Canada
Many Canadians are unaware just how much of their old ride can be recycled. "A lot has changed in the auto recycling business," said Steve Fletcher, Managing Director, Automotive Recyclers of Canada (ARC). "Gone are the days of the haphazard junkyards, today's auto recyclers are highly organized businesses, which can recycle over 80 per cent of a single vehicle brought to them."
The steel industry recycles more than 12.7 million metric tonnes of steel from end-of-life vehicle each year
Many parts are reconditioned and sold: starter, alternator, engine, transmission, wheel rims, mirrors, seats, stereo, doors, batteries
Fluids are drained for reuse or recycling: fuel, oils, coolant, windshield fluid
Heavy metals like lead and mercury are recycled
Refrigerants are recovered for reuse or recycling
Tires are reused when possible or shredded, cleaned and processed into useful items like playground surfaces and garden mulch.
Once all of the salvageable material is removed from the vehicle the remaining structure is flattened and pulverized into fist-sized pieces, and shredded to recover and recycle the metals.
About ARC:
Formed in 1997 as an "association of associations", the Automotive Recyclers of Canada (ARC) is the national voice of the automotive recycling industry, providing a forum for the channelling of information and addressing Canada wide concerns. Member associations: Alberta Automotive Recyclers & Dismantlers Association (AARDA); Association des recycleurs de pièces d'autos et de camions inc. (ARPAC); Automotive Recyclers Association of Atlantic Canada (ARAAC); Automotive Recyclers Association of Manitoba (ARM); British Columbia Automotive Recyclers (B-CAR); Saskatchewan Government Insurance (SGI) Salvage; Ontario Automotive Recyclers Association (OARA). ARC's 400 auto recycling members are committed to the cost-efficient and environmentally-responsible recycling of end-of-life vehicles (ELVs) using the Canadian Auto Recyclers' Environmental Code of Practice.
Salvage Wire
Helping Automotive recyclers become leaders in their industry
Friday, 30 September 2011
Yard Show a must for all recyclers
Next June will be a great opportunity for vehicle recyclers from not only the UK, but Europe and further afield when the Complete Auto Recycling Show - CARS, opens its doors near Liverpool. Running concurrently will be the International Roundtable on Auto Recycling 2012, which attracts visitors from every corner of the globe. For the first time, those involved with vehicle recycling, and that includes, transport, depollution, parts, salvage, ferrous and non-ferrous processing, other recyclates and waste stream materials, will have a show designed to build this industry.
See the ATF Professional website for more information.
See the ATF Professional website for more information.
Friday, 9 September 2011
Recycled bumpers made into new ones
Mazda Motor Corp., Hiroshima, Japan, has introduced a new technology to recycle scrapped bumpers from end-of-life vehicles (ELVs) into raw material to make new vehicle bumpers. Mazda says the new technology is initially being used to make rear bumpers for the company’s Biante minivan.
Mazda says traditionally bumpers are processed into automobile shredder residue (ASR) and incinerated to recover heat energy (thermal recycling). With the new technology, the company can recycle the ELV bumpers into material for new vehicle bumpers, improving the material recycling ratio (MRR) of Mazda vehicles. Bumpers comprise a large proportion of the plastic used in vehicles, and Mazda is developing bumper recycling technologies as an effective way to increase vehicle MRR.
Mazda says it already has established a program to process damaged bumpers collected from in-use vehicles through the company’s dealer network in Japan. Mazda then aimed to further develop this damaged bumper recycling technology and adapt it for recycling ELV bumpers.
According to the automaker, one of the biggest challenges to bumper recycling is that many ELVs are more than 10 years old, so the composition of the bumpers' polypropylene plastic and the adhesive properties of the paint vary considerably. As a result, Mazda notes, processing ELV bumpers into new material has previously been technically and economically difficult.
To attempt to overcome this, in the 1990s Mazda began designing bumpers to be easily recyclable, and now the number of ELV bumpers that can be efficiently dismantled is increasing. Mazda has also developed and implemented efficient ELV bumper collection and processing methods in collaboration with two Hiroshima-based companies, Yamako Corp. and Takase Gosei Kagaku Corp. As a result of the initiatives, Mazda says the cost of recycling is less than the cost of purchasing new plastic.
Initially, Mazda is collecting bumpers from end-of-life Mazda vehicles in the Hiroshima area, and the recycled plastic will comprise about 10 percent of each new bumper produced.
Currently, about 20 percent by weight of ELVs is incinerated as ASR. Bumpers comprise a large proportion of the plastic so collecting and recycling ELV bumpers is expected to make a significant contribution to reducing ASR and optimizing efficient use of resources.
Mazda says traditionally bumpers are processed into automobile shredder residue (ASR) and incinerated to recover heat energy (thermal recycling). With the new technology, the company can recycle the ELV bumpers into material for new vehicle bumpers, improving the material recycling ratio (MRR) of Mazda vehicles. Bumpers comprise a large proportion of the plastic used in vehicles, and Mazda is developing bumper recycling technologies as an effective way to increase vehicle MRR.
Mazda says it already has established a program to process damaged bumpers collected from in-use vehicles through the company’s dealer network in Japan. Mazda then aimed to further develop this damaged bumper recycling technology and adapt it for recycling ELV bumpers.
According to the automaker, one of the biggest challenges to bumper recycling is that many ELVs are more than 10 years old, so the composition of the bumpers' polypropylene plastic and the adhesive properties of the paint vary considerably. As a result, Mazda notes, processing ELV bumpers into new material has previously been technically and economically difficult.
To attempt to overcome this, in the 1990s Mazda began designing bumpers to be easily recyclable, and now the number of ELV bumpers that can be efficiently dismantled is increasing. Mazda has also developed and implemented efficient ELV bumper collection and processing methods in collaboration with two Hiroshima-based companies, Yamako Corp. and Takase Gosei Kagaku Corp. As a result of the initiatives, Mazda says the cost of recycling is less than the cost of purchasing new plastic.
Initially, Mazda is collecting bumpers from end-of-life Mazda vehicles in the Hiroshima area, and the recycled plastic will comprise about 10 percent of each new bumper produced.
Currently, about 20 percent by weight of ELVs is incinerated as ASR. Bumpers comprise a large proportion of the plastic so collecting and recycling ELV bumpers is expected to make a significant contribution to reducing ASR and optimizing efficient use of resources.
Thursday, 25 August 2011
Car-Part.com conference
Auto recyclers from across the U.S., Canada, Mexico and Australia came to the Car-Part.com Industry Conference to experience new product solutions from the online used parts retailer. Thirty-two classes were offered, nine of those being new.
Rob Rainwater gave insights into auto recycling sales management and techniques. Industry-related classes were presented by recyclers, core buyers and HR professionals, and an aftermarket quality program was discussed by Dan Morrissey, ABPA’s chairman. DJ Harrington emceed the event.
Recyclers were among the first to be configured for Car-Part Pro, the new search engine designed for professional repairers. Coaches helped recyclers configure their best options for extended warranties, accurate delivery times and brokering.
Recyclers also tried out the currently available CrashLink, which provides OE interchange, diagrams and a pricing calculator that helps value assemblies, interchange and non-interchange parts for collision repair pricing.
Other new product presentations included Real Time Barcoding — vehicle and part imaging for Checkmate, Car-Part Pro and eBay; Checkmate Workstation; Order Trakker; new features of Car-Part Messaging; Coremate and more.
Rob Rainwater gave insights into auto recycling sales management and techniques. Industry-related classes were presented by recyclers, core buyers and HR professionals, and an aftermarket quality program was discussed by Dan Morrissey, ABPA’s chairman. DJ Harrington emceed the event.
Recyclers were among the first to be configured for Car-Part Pro, the new search engine designed for professional repairers. Coaches helped recyclers configure their best options for extended warranties, accurate delivery times and brokering.
Recyclers also tried out the currently available CrashLink, which provides OE interchange, diagrams and a pricing calculator that helps value assemblies, interchange and non-interchange parts for collision repair pricing.
Other new product presentations included Real Time Barcoding — vehicle and part imaging for Checkmate, Car-Part Pro and eBay; Checkmate Workstation; Order Trakker; new features of Car-Part Messaging; Coremate and more.
Monday, 22 August 2011
Write-offs still being sold in Australia
Despite RTA reforms instituted in January this year in NSW and despite more recent changes to the legislation brought into effect on August 1, unlicenced traders and backyard repairers are still selling potentially dangerous repaired write-offs.
While the reforms were designed to protect consumers and reduce vehicle theft and re-birthing, James McCall, CEO of Motor Trade Association - New South Wales (MTA-NSW), said the reforms do not protect consumers against write-offs which have been repaired poorly by unscrupulous repairers before the laws came into effect.
The reforms in NSW introduced tougher restriction on the re-registration of written-off vehicles, classing all write-offs as "statutory" or non-repairable (other jurisdictions, like Victoria, still have two classes of write-off: "repairable" and "statutory").
The latest changes require a "certificate of compliance" stating a vehicle has been repaired to required safety standards before it can be re-registered.
The MTA estimates an average of 15,000 repaired write-offs are re-registered each year in NSW, increasing to 20,000 last year.
"We've had cars where the pillars have been cut by emergency services and the insurance companies are selling these on. They are put back together with Sikaflex. People will be killed or maimed in a crash in one of these cars," Mr McCall said.
Senior Policy Advisor for NRMA Motoring and Services, Jack Haley, downplayed the danger of repaired write-offs.
"If the repair has been done properly it is perfectly satisfactory. The main value of this reform, in our view, is that it will prevent vehicle re-birthing," he said.
The Victorian Automobile Chamber of Commerce (VACC) supports the NSW reforms. VACC's view is that they will encourage insurance companies to repair more vehicles and simplify the market for consumers and dealers.
"One category of written-off vehicle would remove the current position of having two classes of vehicles in the second-hand market (in Victoria); those that have been written-off and those which have not. This would provide both consumers and dealers with a simpler marketplace," David Purchase, VACC Executive Director said.
"VACC would like to see the NSW position adopted in Victoria."
Rachel Uglow, 40, of Croki bought a second hand Toyota Prado from a car dealer in February 2011 and discovered it was a repaired write-off, with major damage to the chassis, when she took it for a mechanical check.
"The only reason we wanted to buy another car was for safety. When I first found out the car was a repaired write-off I was really angry," she said.
The car dealer was forced to refund Mrs Uglow's money after she contacted the RTA and the Department of Fair Trading and gathered evidence that the car was a repaired write-off.
No such protection exists for buyers who have bought privately or from an unlicenced 'backyard' seller.
"I think you've just got to be super-careful and do the homework yourself and not trust anyone. You feel a bit unprotected as a consumer," she said.
While it is legal to sell a car that was deemed a "repairable write-off" and re-registered before January 31, under the 2004 Motor Dealers Regulation, car dealers must tell consumers if a vehicle has previously been declared a write-off.
According to the REVs website "motor dealers must declare whether, according to REVS data, a vehicle has previously been written off".
There are no such rules for private sales. Buyers have to be especially vigilant and ensure they do the relevant checks prior to purchasing a vehicle.
But Bennett Thelmo, Business Project Officer at REVs, admitted that even if a REVs check is done there is no guarantee the written-off status of a vehicle will be reported. Both buyers and car dealers in NSW need to request this information from the RTA.
"We provide the history if the data comes from the relevant agency but our main business is encumbrances. Information about whether a car is written off is auxiliary information," he said.
A spokesman for the RTA confirmed the RTA administers the Written-off Vehicle Register (WOVR) but did not acknowledge the breakdown in the process for sharing that data with REVs.
The WOVR is a national initiative "designed to deter vehicle theft and to ensure written-off vehicles are repaired to an appropriate standard before re-registration" (VicRoads).
Car buyers in Victoria are arguably at greater risk than those in NSW.
Victoria, unlike NSW, still allows two classes of "write-off" in the Written-off Vehicles register: "statutory write-offs", which can never be re-registered, and "repairable write-offs" which can be re-registered after repair and having undergone a Vehicle Identity Validation (VIV) inspection.
Although a national initiative, each state manages its own inspection and registration regime.
"Motorists can check the history of a vehicle registered in NSW on the RTA website to see if it has been written off," Mr Thelmo said.
The MTA however accuses the RTA and the Department of Fair Trading, which operates REVs, of avoiding responsibility.
"None of the agencies are willing to say 'we got it wrong'. Everyone just points the finger at everyone else," said Mr McCall.
In October this year REVs will be scrapped and replaced by a new national body, the Personal Property Securities Register (PPSR) but the anomalies will remain.
The message to car buyers is "do your homework": have any private purchase checked carefully if you want to avoid investing good money and driving around in a poorly repaired 'write-off'.
Source: The Motor Report
While the reforms were designed to protect consumers and reduce vehicle theft and re-birthing, James McCall, CEO of Motor Trade Association - New South Wales (MTA-NSW), said the reforms do not protect consumers against write-offs which have been repaired poorly by unscrupulous repairers before the laws came into effect.
The reforms in NSW introduced tougher restriction on the re-registration of written-off vehicles, classing all write-offs as "statutory" or non-repairable (other jurisdictions, like Victoria, still have two classes of write-off: "repairable" and "statutory").
The latest changes require a "certificate of compliance" stating a vehicle has been repaired to required safety standards before it can be re-registered.
The MTA estimates an average of 15,000 repaired write-offs are re-registered each year in NSW, increasing to 20,000 last year.
"We've had cars where the pillars have been cut by emergency services and the insurance companies are selling these on. They are put back together with Sikaflex. People will be killed or maimed in a crash in one of these cars," Mr McCall said.
Senior Policy Advisor for NRMA Motoring and Services, Jack Haley, downplayed the danger of repaired write-offs.
"If the repair has been done properly it is perfectly satisfactory. The main value of this reform, in our view, is that it will prevent vehicle re-birthing," he said.
The Victorian Automobile Chamber of Commerce (VACC) supports the NSW reforms. VACC's view is that they will encourage insurance companies to repair more vehicles and simplify the market for consumers and dealers.
"One category of written-off vehicle would remove the current position of having two classes of vehicles in the second-hand market (in Victoria); those that have been written-off and those which have not. This would provide both consumers and dealers with a simpler marketplace," David Purchase, VACC Executive Director said.
"VACC would like to see the NSW position adopted in Victoria."
Rachel Uglow, 40, of Croki bought a second hand Toyota Prado from a car dealer in February 2011 and discovered it was a repaired write-off, with major damage to the chassis, when she took it for a mechanical check.
"The only reason we wanted to buy another car was for safety. When I first found out the car was a repaired write-off I was really angry," she said.
The car dealer was forced to refund Mrs Uglow's money after she contacted the RTA and the Department of Fair Trading and gathered evidence that the car was a repaired write-off.
No such protection exists for buyers who have bought privately or from an unlicenced 'backyard' seller.
"I think you've just got to be super-careful and do the homework yourself and not trust anyone. You feel a bit unprotected as a consumer," she said.
While it is legal to sell a car that was deemed a "repairable write-off" and re-registered before January 31, under the 2004 Motor Dealers Regulation, car dealers must tell consumers if a vehicle has previously been declared a write-off.
According to the REVs website "motor dealers must declare whether, according to REVS data, a vehicle has previously been written off".
There are no such rules for private sales. Buyers have to be especially vigilant and ensure they do the relevant checks prior to purchasing a vehicle.
But Bennett Thelmo, Business Project Officer at REVs, admitted that even if a REVs check is done there is no guarantee the written-off status of a vehicle will be reported. Both buyers and car dealers in NSW need to request this information from the RTA.
"We provide the history if the data comes from the relevant agency but our main business is encumbrances. Information about whether a car is written off is auxiliary information," he said.
A spokesman for the RTA confirmed the RTA administers the Written-off Vehicle Register (WOVR) but did not acknowledge the breakdown in the process for sharing that data with REVs.
The WOVR is a national initiative "designed to deter vehicle theft and to ensure written-off vehicles are repaired to an appropriate standard before re-registration" (VicRoads).
Car buyers in Victoria are arguably at greater risk than those in NSW.
Victoria, unlike NSW, still allows two classes of "write-off" in the Written-off Vehicles register: "statutory write-offs", which can never be re-registered, and "repairable write-offs" which can be re-registered after repair and having undergone a Vehicle Identity Validation (VIV) inspection.
Although a national initiative, each state manages its own inspection and registration regime.
"Motorists can check the history of a vehicle registered in NSW on the RTA website to see if it has been written off," Mr Thelmo said.
The MTA however accuses the RTA and the Department of Fair Trading, which operates REVs, of avoiding responsibility.
"None of the agencies are willing to say 'we got it wrong'. Everyone just points the finger at everyone else," said Mr McCall.
In October this year REVs will be scrapped and replaced by a new national body, the Personal Property Securities Register (PPSR) but the anomalies will remain.
The message to car buyers is "do your homework": have any private purchase checked carefully if you want to avoid investing good money and driving around in a poorly repaired 'write-off'.
Source: The Motor Report
Friday, 5 August 2011
Flood Damaged Vehicles
When it rains enough to flood everyone panics, especially people who don’t have flood insurance. Last month the Chicagoland area received over seven inches of rain in one night, not enough to trigger a widespread flood but enough to cause a lot of damage and some localized flooding. Fortunately automobile owners who had full coverage on their cars had flood coverage under their Comprehensive coverage.
Full coverage generally means comprehensive and collision coverages. Most people understand the collision part, when your car hits another car, or an object like a tree or a fence, or your car is hit by another car. The comprehensive coverage is the definition that is not as well understood. Comprehensive coverage pays for losses from events other than collision, for example, if your car is stolen, damaged by fire, or involved in a flood. If you have rental coverage your insurance company will pay to provide you with a loaner car right away so the insurance company can help you to decide if the car can be repaired or if it should be declared a total loss.
“Our customers were so happy when they found out they had flood coverage on their car as long as they purchased full coverage. Some streets flooded with several feet of water and the cars were almost submerged, especially the smaller cars that sit lower to the ground.” said Cynthia Garcia, Marketing Director for Active Insurance Agency.
If you are looking for a used car and are concerned about purchasing a car that was salvaged after being declared a loss due to flood be vigilant. Check for musty smells and for upholstery that does not match the rest of the car. Check for silt or dirt in the trunk, below the seats, in the glove compartment and under the dashboard. Have the car inspected by a mechanic. You can also run a search on Carfax.com to obtain a history of the car. All you need is the vehicle's 17-digit Vehicle Identification Number (VIN), which you can find on the dashboard. The cost is $34.99 for one car or $44.99 for five reports.
Many states including Illinois will title cars with a “salvage” and sometimes a “flood” designation for cars that have been transferred from other states for resale. The State Department of Motor Vehicles try hard to prevent clean title transfer for cars that have been flood damaged but sometimes even their best efforts fail to spot fraud, so be careful when purchasing a used car especially one with a relatively recently transferred title.
Full coverage generally means comprehensive and collision coverages. Most people understand the collision part, when your car hits another car, or an object like a tree or a fence, or your car is hit by another car. The comprehensive coverage is the definition that is not as well understood. Comprehensive coverage pays for losses from events other than collision, for example, if your car is stolen, damaged by fire, or involved in a flood. If you have rental coverage your insurance company will pay to provide you with a loaner car right away so the insurance company can help you to decide if the car can be repaired or if it should be declared a total loss.
“Our customers were so happy when they found out they had flood coverage on their car as long as they purchased full coverage. Some streets flooded with several feet of water and the cars were almost submerged, especially the smaller cars that sit lower to the ground.” said Cynthia Garcia, Marketing Director for Active Insurance Agency.
If you are looking for a used car and are concerned about purchasing a car that was salvaged after being declared a loss due to flood be vigilant. Check for musty smells and for upholstery that does not match the rest of the car. Check for silt or dirt in the trunk, below the seats, in the glove compartment and under the dashboard. Have the car inspected by a mechanic. You can also run a search on Carfax.com to obtain a history of the car. All you need is the vehicle's 17-digit Vehicle Identification Number (VIN), which you can find on the dashboard. The cost is $34.99 for one car or $44.99 for five reports.
Many states including Illinois will title cars with a “salvage” and sometimes a “flood” designation for cars that have been transferred from other states for resale. The State Department of Motor Vehicles try hard to prevent clean title transfer for cars that have been flood damaged but sometimes even their best efforts fail to spot fraud, so be careful when purchasing a used car especially one with a relatively recently transferred title.
Indian Auto Recycling
In India, cars driven for 15-20 years until they can no longer be cajoled into life often land at scrap dealers, to be dismantled and their innards reused with little regard for the environment. An experiment is in the works just outside Chennai to tweak this picture.
As India’s annual car sales climb at a 30% clip to touch 2.5 million in 2010-11, according to the Society of Indian Automobile Manufacturers (Siam), as people upgrade from hatchbacks to sedans, and as accidents rise and loan defaults soar, more cars are entering scrapyards where engine oil leaches into the ground and lead poisoning lurks as batteries are taken apart.
A recycling unit launched on Tuesday 55km outside Chennai, close to the local factories of foreign auto makers including Ford Motor Co. and the Renault-Nissan alliance, may offer a cleaner and greener solution for the reuse or disposal of automotive parts. The 340-acre facility to the south-west of Chennai, in Oragadam, is a creation of Siam and the ministry of heavy industries that will dismantle cars that are no longer road-worthy.
The compact unit currently working on 100 two-wheelers and 25 four-wheelers will be run primarily on manual labour, unlike heavily automated recycling centres abroad, Siam Recycling Group chairman N.S. Mohan Ram said.
Over three months, workers will dismantle each car and two-wheeler, and after removing parts that can be reused or recycled, and other parts such as glass and fabric that must go into landfills, large parts will be compressed by a hydraulic press to occupy smaller spaces.
“There are strict regulations worldwide on the end of life of vehicles,” said K.K. Gandhi, executive director (technical), Siam. “In India, vehicles are bought by kabadiwallahs (scrap dealers) in areas like Mayapuri in Delhi. They dismantle the vehicle, take away the bearings, electrical parts, body parts, to recycle. The whole system is very unhygienic and can handle only low volumes.”
S.S. Chawla, 30, entered his father’s 25-year-old scrap business in Mayapuri about a decade ago. The west Delhi recycling hub grabbed headlines last year following the death of a scrapyard worker from exposure to radiation from junked equipment containing nuclear material.
While there may be little adherence to environmental norms, it is undeniable that he and other scrap dealers are a valuable and cheap source of replacement for rural car owners and taxi operators who cannot afford a Rs.4,000 tyre to replace a worn-out wheel. Many car owners head to this junkyard heaven to pick a cheaper tyre ripped off from a partially damaged vehicle for Rs.800-1,000.
“There are no norms for taxing old and polluting cars,” said Kumar Kandaswami, an automotive industry specialist at consultancy Deloitte Touche Tohmatsu India Pvt. Ltd. “So there’s no motivation for people to retire their cars. A new car run in Chennai may wind up in Tuticorin (500km away) after a few years.”
Indeed, business and competition has picked up, said Chawla, as have piles of garbage generated from unusable auto parts such as glass components and plastic innards.
Chennai’s Mayapuri lies to the north-west of the city, in Pudupet. The air here reeks of automotive fluids. The soil is a shimmering dark gray mix of grease and shattered glass. Many of Pudupet’s scrap shops that line every inch of its streets are stuffed with car tyres, doors, mirrors, bumpers and other tubular and metal components. The fast-growing loot comes from financiers auctioning vehicles confiscated from defaulting borrowers, insurance companies and even the forest department that finds orphaned vehicles.
But even as the resale of automotive parts may seem a logical extension of the pervasive Indian habit of reusing things, it inadvertently involves violation of environmental norms, say ecological experts.
“There is always the danger of overstepping that line by using products that may not be fit enough to be used,” said Priti Mahesh, project manager with Delhi-based environmental not-for-profit Toxics Link.
Amid increasing labour costs to repair dented bumpers and doors defaced by accidents, the rising stock of unblemished doors recovered from vehicles brought to Chennai and Delhi’s scrap dealers finds several takers.
Still, a soaring mountain of metal spares—70% versus 30% of total scrap volumes 20 years ago, according to several Pudupet traders—don’t find buyers and are sold by weight at a profit given rising aluminium, steel and copper prices.
The rise in melting and reuse of such parts by the unorganized sector, which could be lethal to air and water in the surrounding areas, offers a compelling reason for ecologically cleaner measures to recycle automotive parts.
“Usually, the informal sector cuts corners as much as possible, but recovery efficiency is much lower and you may be losing a lot of resources that can be recycled,” said Toxics Link’s Mahesh. “There is a need for an organized sector effort to reuse parts of cars or two-wheelers with adherence to environmental norms.”
anupama.c@livemint.com
Amritha Venketakrishnan contributed to this story.
As India’s annual car sales climb at a 30% clip to touch 2.5 million in 2010-11, according to the Society of Indian Automobile Manufacturers (Siam), as people upgrade from hatchbacks to sedans, and as accidents rise and loan defaults soar, more cars are entering scrapyards where engine oil leaches into the ground and lead poisoning lurks as batteries are taken apart.
A recycling unit launched on Tuesday 55km outside Chennai, close to the local factories of foreign auto makers including Ford Motor Co. and the Renault-Nissan alliance, may offer a cleaner and greener solution for the reuse or disposal of automotive parts. The 340-acre facility to the south-west of Chennai, in Oragadam, is a creation of Siam and the ministry of heavy industries that will dismantle cars that are no longer road-worthy.
The compact unit currently working on 100 two-wheelers and 25 four-wheelers will be run primarily on manual labour, unlike heavily automated recycling centres abroad, Siam Recycling Group chairman N.S. Mohan Ram said.
Over three months, workers will dismantle each car and two-wheeler, and after removing parts that can be reused or recycled, and other parts such as glass and fabric that must go into landfills, large parts will be compressed by a hydraulic press to occupy smaller spaces.
“There are strict regulations worldwide on the end of life of vehicles,” said K.K. Gandhi, executive director (technical), Siam. “In India, vehicles are bought by kabadiwallahs (scrap dealers) in areas like Mayapuri in Delhi. They dismantle the vehicle, take away the bearings, electrical parts, body parts, to recycle. The whole system is very unhygienic and can handle only low volumes.”
S.S. Chawla, 30, entered his father’s 25-year-old scrap business in Mayapuri about a decade ago. The west Delhi recycling hub grabbed headlines last year following the death of a scrapyard worker from exposure to radiation from junked equipment containing nuclear material.
While there may be little adherence to environmental norms, it is undeniable that he and other scrap dealers are a valuable and cheap source of replacement for rural car owners and taxi operators who cannot afford a Rs.4,000 tyre to replace a worn-out wheel. Many car owners head to this junkyard heaven to pick a cheaper tyre ripped off from a partially damaged vehicle for Rs.800-1,000.
“There are no norms for taxing old and polluting cars,” said Kumar Kandaswami, an automotive industry specialist at consultancy Deloitte Touche Tohmatsu India Pvt. Ltd. “So there’s no motivation for people to retire their cars. A new car run in Chennai may wind up in Tuticorin (500km away) after a few years.”
Indeed, business and competition has picked up, said Chawla, as have piles of garbage generated from unusable auto parts such as glass components and plastic innards.
Chennai’s Mayapuri lies to the north-west of the city, in Pudupet. The air here reeks of automotive fluids. The soil is a shimmering dark gray mix of grease and shattered glass. Many of Pudupet’s scrap shops that line every inch of its streets are stuffed with car tyres, doors, mirrors, bumpers and other tubular and metal components. The fast-growing loot comes from financiers auctioning vehicles confiscated from defaulting borrowers, insurance companies and even the forest department that finds orphaned vehicles.
But even as the resale of automotive parts may seem a logical extension of the pervasive Indian habit of reusing things, it inadvertently involves violation of environmental norms, say ecological experts.
“There is always the danger of overstepping that line by using products that may not be fit enough to be used,” said Priti Mahesh, project manager with Delhi-based environmental not-for-profit Toxics Link.
Amid increasing labour costs to repair dented bumpers and doors defaced by accidents, the rising stock of unblemished doors recovered from vehicles brought to Chennai and Delhi’s scrap dealers finds several takers.
Still, a soaring mountain of metal spares—70% versus 30% of total scrap volumes 20 years ago, according to several Pudupet traders—don’t find buyers and are sold by weight at a profit given rising aluminium, steel and copper prices.
The rise in melting and reuse of such parts by the unorganized sector, which could be lethal to air and water in the surrounding areas, offers a compelling reason for ecologically cleaner measures to recycle automotive parts.
“Usually, the informal sector cuts corners as much as possible, but recovery efficiency is much lower and you may be losing a lot of resources that can be recycled,” said Toxics Link’s Mahesh. “There is a need for an organized sector effort to reuse parts of cars or two-wheelers with adherence to environmental norms.”
anupama.c@livemint.com
Amritha Venketakrishnan contributed to this story.
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