Junk yards in California have gotten on board the big green bus of environmentalism and are on the cutting edge of the latest in environmental procedures. Not exactly something one would expect when conjuring up images of piles of rusting cars protected by one old mean junkyard dog. That’s because that image has become as much a relic as the cars that sat in them used to be. Today these are know by the politically correct but no less accurate term, automotive recyclers. And in fact these automotive recyclers began recycling parts back when "use it then lose it" was the hot trend of the day.

The automotive recycling industries in California and elsewhere have invested more than $50 million in technological advances to implement new stricter environmental protection laws. Most of these laws pertain to the collection and safe disposal of hazardous waste materials that are contained in non-operative automobiles. Chemicals such as motor oil, brake and transmission fluids, Freon and mercury contained in light switches are all products that must be properly handled to prevent them from finding their way into ground water and air.

Along with protecting the environment, California auto recyclers work to reclaim hundreds of thousands of pounds of steel. All of which is recycled into new parts and vehicles. It has been estimated that auto recyclers have recovered enough steel since 1997 to manufacture 13 million new cars. In this way, salvage yards in California are providing an invaluable service to the community. Every ton of steel recovered means precious reserves iron and aluminum ore are left undisturbed. Not to mention the savings on pollution and the energy needed to manufacture the new parts and vehicles.

Another service provided by the salvage yards that people these days can really use is the reclaiming of parts that still have hundreds of miles left in them. When a car is brought into a salvage yard, many times it may have just one or two major things wrong. This leaves an innumerable amount of perfectly good working parts are left to be removed and resold. This means a savings of money and time for most consumers. The cost of buying a quality used part is usually a third of what it would cost to by that same part new at a dealership, and in with today’s economy that is a savings anyone can appreciate. Most California salvage yards also utilize a direct access inventory system also. When a part is removed from a vehicle it is inventoried into a computer system. Other salvage yards throughout the state and across the country have access to this inventory. This usually means that locating a part is as easy as calling the nearest auto recycler and even if they do not have the part themselves they can find someone who does. Whether the part is located across town or across the country most salvage yards will ship the part directly to your door. California salvage yards today are leading the way in saving time, money and the environment.