Recycling Your Car: How it Works

So you’ve made the leap to recycling your household items. Bottles, cans, newspapers, packaging etc. But what about the bigger things you own, like your car? What happens when you try to recycle a vehicle that weighs several thousand pounds?

Cars can be recycled for any number of reasons, but the key reason used cars are in demand has to do with the steel used to construct a car. With recycled steel going for up to $250 per ton, cars can provide a cheaper, simpler way for many manufacturers to source the metal. 

Recycled metal is often shipped overseas to other countries who may not have easy access to the natural resources that we have in the U.S. That recycled steel is often compacted into tight, container-shaped blocks so that it can be shipped overseas for re-use.  To learn more about the process, check out how car crushers work.

Recycling your car can also generate a fairly nice tax break. Many junkers can be donated to charities, who will issue you a receipt for your donation, which can be deducted from your taxes. Organizations like Kars 4 Kids and Make a Wish can help you recycle your car here in Massachusetts.

So the next time you think about recycling, think about your old four-wheeled clunker. It can be recycled and re-used!