You may have run across one as a kid, when you were playing in the woods, or you might have seen one recently, when you took a nature hike: An old automobile that was left in the woods to rust away and be swallowed by the accumulation of fallen foliage and shifting soil.
Abandoning end-of-life vehicles in the woods has been a practice among consumers ever since cars became mass produced, and the problem seems to only grow more pronounced as an increasing number of vehicles are manufactured to serve an increasing number of drivers, as people continue to live longer and the population grows.
More Than Just Eyesores
At first glance, old vehicles that are abandoned in woodland seem like nothing more than eyesores, but they often represent a threat to the environment, as most of them are placed in their final resting spot without the owner taking auto recycling measures, particularly removing liquids from the engine that are hazardous to the environment if they escape their reservoirs.
According to the New Hampshire Department of Environmental Services, “A single motor vehicle typically contains 5-10 gallons of fluid (gasoline, antifreeze, oil, etc.) when it’s scrapped.” So, what happens when a clearing in the woods is used as a scrapyard instead of sending a junk car to an auto recycling outfit? Eventually, the fluid in the old jalopy enters the environment in the form of gaseous emissions or liquid — and the effects can be toxic.
The New Hampshire Department of Environmental Services also notes that “One gallon of gasoline can contaminate 750,000 gallons of water — enough water to supply the average American for 20 years.” The contamination impacts aquatic life and animal life that drinks the tainted water.
The saddest part, though, is that gasoline and most other engine fluids that can hurt the environment are eminently recyclable. All consumers need to do is sell their end-of-life vehicles to an auto recycling company or an eco friendly junkyard that works with auto recyclers to help ensure that end-of-life cars are as fully repurposed as possible.
Need to Junk of a Junker?
If you have a junk car that you need to get rid of, there are two good reasons to offer it to Wrench-A-Part instead of parking it in the middle of nature: The latter scenario hurts the environment, and we will pay you a competitive price for the car based on our ability to resell its used parts that still offer reliable performance.
Reselling used parts alone benefits auto recycling by keeping the parts out of landfills or requiring recyclers to spend energy on recycling them, but we go a step further than recirculating parts. We also work with recyclers who recycle the leftover parts and materials from our vehicles that have been picked clean of useful components.
If you would like to get paid for your junker and do something good for the environment at the same time, contact one of our Texas locations today in Austin, Belton, Holland, or Lubbock. We look forward to making you a competitive offer for your junk car!