AUTOMOBILE SCRAPPAGE AND RECYCLING INDUSTRY STUDY - OVERVIEW REPORT

The principal factors which influence the recovery of materials from junked automobiles are reviewed and evaluated. These include the number and materials composition of the automobiles that are retired annually in the U.S.; the flow of junk automobiles into the commercial recovery cycle and problems associated with abandoned automobiles; operations of the auto wrecking industry where serviceable parts are salvaged; and the structure, operations and technology of the scrap industry which transforms automobile hulks into commercial grades of metal scrap. Since Federal laws and policies impact on the reclamation of materials from junked automobiles, a legal review of key legislation and policies is also included. Because of a strong demand for auto hulks by scrap processors, created by an increased market for ferrous scrap, the problem of an ever increasing accumulation of unprocessed deregistered automobiles has been stabilized. In 1974, the fractional recovery of metallic materials from the approximately ten million automobiles deregistered that year was higher than from other forms of obsolete scrap. The estimated value of the recovered materials was in excess of one billion dollars.

• Corporate Authors:

  HH Aerospace Design Company, Incorporated

  Civil Air Terminal
  Bedford, MA  United States  01730

  Transportation Systems Center

  55 Broadway, Kendall Square
  Cambridge, MA  United States  02142
• Authors:
  • Kaiser, R
  • Wasson, R P
  • Daniels, ACW
• Publication Date: 1977-9

Media Info

• Pagination: 409 p.

Subject/Index Terms

• TRT Terms: Automobiles; Economic analysis; Forecasting; Freight traffic; Industries; Iron alloys; Junkyards; Legislation; Materials recovery (Mining); Motor vehicles; Plastics; Policy; Recycling; Regulations; Rubber; Scrap metal; Solid waste disposal; Steel; Steel plants; Tires; Traffic forecasting; Trend (Statistics)
• Old TRIS Terms: Government policies; Materials recovery; Metal scrap; Rubber industry; Waste processing
• Subject Areas: Economics; Freight Transportation; Law; Policy; Railroads; Vehicles and Equipment;

Filing Info

• Accession Number: 00168893
• Record Type: Publication
• Source Agency: National Technical Information Service
• Report/Paper Numbers: DOT-TSC-OST-77-11 Final Rpt.
• Contract Numbers: DOT-TSC-1028
• Files: NTIS, TRIS
• Created Date: Jan 13 1978 12:00AM