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The Automotive Recyclers Association recently
copyrighted the phrase "the original recycler" since the auto parts
recycling industry has a history as long as auto manufacturing. ARA was recently compelled to contact our US Legislative body.
It seems that the automaker do not want to embrace auto salvage in
their restructuring plans to receive federal aid. It's shocking
that the manufacturing of new OEM parts do not want recycled parts to be resold.
Their own self interest could damage the largest recycling market in existance.
This is an ongoing issue in the auto recylcling industry - for years
the OEM's have kept secret the knowledge of interchangeable parts from make,
model & year vehicles to stimulate the sale of new OEM parts when recycled
parts exist in the market.
From ARA correspondence to Sen. Maj. Leader Harry
Reid:
"At present, recycled auto parts are competing
against a new OEM auto parts industry that
commands some 70-80% of the collision and mechanical repair parts market. However, educated consumers embrace ?recycled? auto parts usage because of the benefits to the environment along with their substantial consumer savings in reduced repair costs and lower insurance premiums. Not to mention, these quality ?green? auto parts meet the performance, safety, fit and durability standards of the OEM. Misleading the American consumer about green auto
recycling has serious environmental
consequences. Reuse is the most efficient form of recycling. It reuses an existing resource and saves all the original resources and energy that would have to go into making that new part. The carbon dioxide reductions for each recycled part reused is substantial. However, millions of potentially ?green? recycled parts remain unused in today?s motor vehicle repair economy wasting millions of countless natural resources in the process. Our concerns, however, are that the automobile
continue to be most recycled consumer
product in the world. Currently, the automobile is the number one recycled consumer product in the world ? 95 percent of all end-of-life vehicles in the U.S. go through a market-driven recycling infrastructure with no added costs or taxes to the consumer, with 84 percent by weight of each vehicle recycled. The rate far exceeds the numbers for recycling titans such as newspaper (74 percent), aluminum cans (51 percent) and glass (22 percent). This saves valuable global resources and has a great impact on keeping contaminants and hazardous materials out of landfills, water, and air. In fact, every motor vehicle that is recycled through the scrap process saves 2,500 pounds of iron ore, 1,400 pounds of coal, and 120 pounds of limestone. As well, the steel from six end-of-life vehicles is all that is needed to frame a 2000-square-foot home. The alternative is to cut down 40 to 50 trees." Measurement data provided also included a study of
a 1999 compact car and the carbon emission saved by the salvage and reuse of the
parts, available in Excel.
OH The power of GOOD MEASUREMENT - let's hope it
helps! please let me know if you want the email
forwarded to you - it also includes the position statements the
Automakers wrote on why they do not want recycled parts in the
market.
Sue Schauls Consulting
(Environmentalist for the Iowa Automotive
Recyclers)
2214 Regal Ave Waterloo, Iowa 50702 319/233-7970 Home office/fax 319/290-7843 Cell |