Autoblog

End of Life Vehicle Regulations will become more stringent in the U.K. in January, and as a result some companies are finding creative ways to reuse those vehicles that were once thought destined for the scrap heap. Westfield Sportscars, a kit car manufacturer in the U.K., has developed a new kit that can transform one's rotting first generation Miata, which has always been known as the MX-5 in Europe, into a practically brand new two seat, open-top sports car.

The donor cars are usually unuseable in their current state because of decaying body panels, regardless of whether or not their running gear is fine. Westfield says it recycles as much of the MX-5 as possible into the new car, a claim substantiated by the wheels on the car that come straight off of the original.

The idea of recycling a car yourself rather than placing that burden on automakers could catch on if hot, little two-seat British sports cars are the end result. Due to the Miata's popularity with autocrossers and the success of the Spec Miata racing series, however, we doubt many of these iconic roadsters ever end up on the scrap heap.

[Source: Westfield Sportscars via Piston Heads

As previously posted, the automobile is the number one recycled product in the U.S. Most of the recycled materials are re-used for different purposes, like floormats being turned into sound-deadening materials.

But how about fuel? In a new study, Changing World Technologies, Inc. used a process known as "thermal conversion" to recycle foam seats and other automotive parts into oil. The process involved pounding the scraps into a soupy mix, then subjecting it to 600 degree heat. The resulting oil was then separated from the waste water. One researcher estimated about 64 percent of the raw material was successfully processed into oil.  The results were released by the U.S. Council for Automotive Research (USCAR).

Several hurdles from the process, such as carbon dioxide emissions and heavy metals, would have to be dealt with before the process ever becomes commonplace. Also, there is intense debate of what automotive parts would be allowed to be processed into fuel.

The USCAR decides this week if the process requires another study. See here on how General Motors is converting landfill gas into natural gas.

[Source: Detroit News]

While everyone knows that aluminum cans and plastic bottles are commonly recycled, according to the Alliance of Automobile Manufacturers, the automobile is the most recycled consumer product today.

Fully ninety-five percent of "retired" cars each year are recycled. The reclaiming process often includes everything from the steel and aluminum used in vehicles' chassis to the floor mats that once went under drivers' feet. Said mats can be recycled, for example, into sound-deadening materials, while some of the metals can be melted to create flashlight batteries. Overall, over 84-percent of a car is ultimately salvaged.

Approximately 26 cars are recycled every minute.

[Source: Alliance of Automobile Manufactures via PR Newswire via Auto Spectator]