100% Recyclable Vehicles?

Detroit’s major automakers announced this week that they would be working together to make their cars and trucks 100% recyclable. Ford Motor Co., Chrysler LLC and General Motors Corp. will work through the U.S. Council for Automotive Research’s Vehicle Recycling Partnership to achieve the goal of making every part of an automobile reusable.

Currently, 95% of all vehicles in the U.S. at the end of their automotive lives are processed for recycling purposes—a fantastic number when compared to other recycling sectors. For instance, only 52% of paper products are recycled and only 31% of plastic drink bottles, according to statistics compiled by the Environmental Protection Agency.

Ford vehicles are already roughly 85% recyclable, according to the company—meaning 85% of the car is capable of being recycled, not that Ford is using 85% recycled materials. This includes scrap metal (automotive scrap metal accounts for one-third of the material in the entire scrap processing industry), and other non-metallic parts like “battery trays, splash shields, engine fan shrouds and carpet.” The company gave no specific breakdown of what parts of new cars and trucks is derived from recycled materials.

100% Recyclable Vehicles is Detroit 3 Target (Detroit Free Press)