EPA's Recycle City

Joe Joshino's Auto Wreckers yard: lots of old cars, tires, and a building with the sign 'used batteries'

There comes a time when even the best-loved cars must go. In Recycle City, they go to Joe Yoshino's Auto Wreckers.

Before Joe set up shop, many folks just left their old cars to rust in a field or yard. Joe knew that almost every part of these abandoned wrecks was recyclable, and that making good use of them was an important part of pollution prevention.

Kick around the junkyard to see what Joe does with the auto parts he gets.

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Flattened Cars

Joe removes all reusable parts before the stripped cars are crushed flat and loaded by the crane into a shredder.

Then, Joe separates the shredded material into three parts: iron and steel (called ferrous metals); other metals; and materials that are not metallic, such as bits of shredded plastic, glass, rubber, or fabric. Steel and other metals go to a steel mill or foundry where they are melted down so they can be used again. Leftover non-metallic parts that can't be recycled go into landfill.

Joe Yoshino

When Joe gets another old car at the junkyard, he looks at more than just the parts of the car he can sell again. He also pays attention to parts that need special treatment, such as old tires that can be retreaded or recycled. And, he captures used motor oil and antifreeze, and removes old oil filters and batteries for recycling.

Hubcaps on the outside fence and rows of old cars full of used parts

Reusable Parts

In Recycle City, whenever a vehicle needs repair, the locals know they can go to Joe's for replacement parts at good prices. Some of the reusable things they can find at Joe's are:

Engines
Carburetors
Fenders
Seats
Hoods
Bumpers
Doors
Wheel covers and vintage hub caps
Catalytic converters for emission control
Tires

Used Batteries

Disposal of old batteries is an environmental problem because they contain lead acid. An average car battery has 18-20 pounds of lead acid, a toxic substance that can cause serious health problems if not disposed of properly. These batteries make up almost 65 percent of the lead in the solid waste from cities and towns. (That's over 138,000 tons of lead!)

At the junkyard, Joe recycles any batteries that cannot be reused. Both the lead and the battery's plastic casing are recyclable. Joe removes old batteries, and delivers them to scrap lead dealers and battery manufacturers, who properly dispose of the acid and melt the lead and plastic down for reuse.

Old Tires

Worn-out tires don't need to be thrown away. Joe does two things to keep old tires going:

He sells tires that are still safe for use on the road as well as those that can be reconditioned. Reconditioned tires, called retreads, can be put back on the car and driven safely for many more miles.
When old tires can't be put back into shape, Joe sells them to companies that reprocess them. Old tires can be shredded or melted down and used to make other materials, such as playground surfaces or asphalt to pave roads.

When the tires on your car wear out, don't just toss them into the nearest ditch or garbage can! Take them to your local service station.