Americans love their cars. In 2014, the number of vehicles on the highways in the United States reached a record level of almost 253 million. The average age of vehicles on U.S. roads hit a plateau of about 11.4 years, according to study in 2014 by IHS Automotive. A $25 billion business, an automobile is the most recycled product in the United States, according to the most recent reports for 2016 surrounding the scrapyard industry, which employs nearly 100,000 people. There are around 7,000 vehicle recycling facilities around the USA.

The international automotive recycling industry is 75 years of age and today many scrap yards and second hand dealers are upgrading from old legacy operating systems with the goal of streamlining business operations towards modernization. Many scrapyards are suffering from a lack of regulatory compliance intelligence. Their processes are paper-based and out of date, and they don’t have enough manpower in place to effectively manage environmental compliance. This puts these businesses at risk for penalties and fines that can cost hundreds of thousands of dollars.

ProComplianceWare (PCW) is designed to help automobile junkyard owners and managers achieve the industry’s best practices, ensuring environmental compliance, so there will be no penalties or fines.

Here are a few facts about vehicle recycling:

• 27 million cars are recovered for recycling globally when they reach the end of their cycle
• About 80 percent of an auto is recyclable; most car windshields are recycled today
• Old vehicles generate more than 25 million tons of materials which are recycled
• Vehicles are the most recycled consumer product in the world today
• Auto recycling is the 16th largest industry in the United States
• Approximately 98- 99 percent of car batteries can be recycled.
• Car tires are recycled and often used to produce either roadways or sandals
• The automotive recycling industry in the U.S. puts about 100,000 people to work
• There are around 7,000 auto recycling facilities in the USA
• Together the recycling industry in Canada and the U.S. produces enough steel to provide about 13 million new vehicles.
• In the USA, nearly 12 million cars are recycled every year
• In Europe about 8 million autos are recycled annually.
• Vehicle recycling produces nearly 40 percent of ferrous metal used in the scrap processing industry
• Almost 90 percent of the aluminum in a vehicle is recycled
• This 90 percent accounts for about 50 percent of its scrap value
• Approximately 14 million tons of recycled steel each year comes from junk vehicles
• 25 percent of the car’s body is composed of recycled steel

Although nearly 80 percent of the weight of vehicle is recycled, the other 20 percent is known as “auto shredder residue (ASR). This is primarily composed of glass, dirt, fabric, rubber, paper, plastic and wood About 5 million tons of ASR goes into landfills each year for decomposure.

Technology continues to advance for the purpose of lowering costs, scrapyard compliance, and improvements. Many scrapyards pay top dollar for scrap metal recycling today from aluminum, copper, tin or steel to junk like appliances, cans vehicles and many other types of scrap metal. Many are tied to recycling centers to help keep our environment clean and friendly.

With modernization to the industry comes the responsibility for ever-changing regulatory compliance, Overall, business is strong and growing, but it is a challenge for the scrapyard industry to remain compliant.  The laws vary in all 50 of the United States. And since 75 percent of all automotive recycling companies employ only about 10 people, keeping pace with regulatory compliance is always a challenge. Yet vehicle scrap and waste handling businesses are continually faced with environmental responsibility towards managing sustainable business practices.  And if they do not, heavy penalties and fines follow.

One Washington-based auto recycling facility discharged industrial storm water without a permit from mid-2008 until 2012 when they were caught. Despite EPA inspections and four warnings, the company did not file for its Notice of Intent (NOI) to apply for coverage under the Washington Industrial Stormwater General Permit (ISGP). Tests on storm water samples taken by EPA showed that there was evidence of arsenic, cadmium, copper, lead, petroleum and zinc in the water. The EPA determined that the company was a point-source discharger and was assessed penalties of $177,500 (the maximum allowed) for failure to apply for a permit and discharging without a permit.

PCW delivers a cost-effective and easy-to-use Web-based environmental management system (EMS). For as little as $250 per month, this regulatory compliance software electronically tracks deadlines for everything from training, to reporting, inspections, and even sampling activities that have been imposed by environmental regulations.

To schedule a demo for ProComplianceWare regulatory compliance management software today, please fill out the form in the link.

Sources:

Fast Environmental Vehicle Recycling Facts, May 15, 2012

IHS Automotive and the Los Angeles Times, By Jerry Hirsch, June 2014

Car Recycling Industry Facts and Figures

850k in Fines for Stormwater Violations, by Lisa Weatherford, Octoberr 2013