their usable life, Massachusetts auto recyclers annually reduce the state’s carbon footprint by at least 2.2 mil- lion tons of carbon dioxide annually, according to the WPI study.
“Our members are focused on recycling every day, but this is the first time we have verified the collective positive impact our industry has on the Massachusetts environment,” said Scott Robertson Jr., a director of ARM and a member of the Executive Committee of the Automotive Recyclers Association, which rep- resents the industry globally. “We are fortunate to have the world-class expertise of WPI and the Metal Processing Institute here in Massachusetts to take on this analysis.”
The study was sponsored by ARM and conducted independently by four WPI seniors – Muhammad Sid- diq, Richard Coffin, Matthew Puksta and Aimilios Ta- chiaos – as their Major Qualifying Project to complete their degrees in mechanical engineering. “What the automotive recyclers are doing is saving materials, saving ener- gy and impacting the environment in a positive way, thus adding value to the economy of the state” said Profes- sor Brajendra Mishra, PhD (seen at right) director of the Metal Process- ing Institute at WPI and advisor for the study. “We thought it was an important technical topic,” said Mishra, whose research team conducted site vis- its, learned the processes and procedures of auto re- cyclers, and considered the reusability of auto parts to make significant conclusions on the study. “What the automobile recyclers are doing is saving ma- terials, saving energy, and impact- ing the environment in a positive way. It is a societal need. It is a sus- tainability need. If we don’t recy- cle, society will not be sustainable 30, 40, 50 years down the road.” Through intensive site visits and a survey of other ARM mem- ber companies, the WPI team
examined operations at auto recycling facilities across Massachusetts and documented their processes for reclaiming auto parts, recycling metals and capturing fluids like oil, gasoline and antifreeze to process prop- erly. The study found that an estimated 165,000 vehi- cles are recycled by ARM members in a typical year. The team then calculated the energy saved by re-us- ing auto parts from those vehicles, like engines and transmissions, versus manufacturing new parts. They also calculated the energy saved by recycling the steel and aluminum left in the vehicles, rather than mining ores and refining new metals. That analysis showed
AUTOMOTIVE RECYCLING • March-April 2018
2.2 million tons of the leading greenhouse gas carbon dioxide (CO2) was saved by reducing the need to re- fine new materials and manufacture new auto parts. Preventing that much CO2 from being released to the atmosphere equates to:
KEY POINTS
165,000 vehicles recycled
2.2 million tons C02 saved
Oil, antifreeze, Freon, lead, mercury and other hazard- ous wastes
captured safely Source: U.S. EPA Carbon Calculator
By putting metals and useable parts back into the automotive supply chain, the ARM companies help drive a “circular economy” in auto manufacturing, Professor Mishra said. “We make a car. We use a car, and we completely recycle the car so the materials stay in the system, in a circle, and we want to do that for as long as we can.”
Fostering a circular economy across many industries is vital for the long-term sustainability of our society, Professor Mish- ra said. “The total primary re- sources available on the Earth are going down. The quality of these resources are going down. Whereas, with the increase in population, the demand for ma- terials is increasing, so we have no other choice but to recycle these
materials and put them back into the system,” he said. The ARM is an affiliate chapter of the Automotive Recyclers Association, representing licensed com- panies across Massachusetts that employ more than 3,000 people. See the full study and a video interview with Professor Mishra:
http://bit.ly/2xzEjwf.
Michael Cohen is a Principal at Cohen Partners where he leads the strategic communications prac- tice and is a principal in the firm’s business develop- ment practice. Michael has more than 25 years of ex- perience as a journalist, media relations and strategic communications professional.
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Energy saved by recycling:
Steel – 75 % Aluminum – 95 %
Most re-used parts:
Engines Transmissions Doors Tires Wheels Mirrors Lights
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