From Wreck to Raw Material - How Perth Recycles End-of-Life Cars
Car owners in Perth who are holding onto an old, damaged or uneconomical vehicle often don't know what happens once it leaves their driveway. The process is well established and licensed yards follow it step by step. Knowing the sequence also explains what a wrecker is actually paying for when it makes an offer.
A vehicle is first depolluted, meaning fuel, oils, coolant, brake fluid, air-conditioning refrigerant, the battery, tyres and airbags are removed and handled separately so they don't contaminate the metal or harm the environment. Dismantlers then strip out reusable parts such as alternators, gearboxes, doors and panels for resale. The remaining shell and chassis are flattened and shredded into fist-sized pieces, and magnets and other equipment separate steel and iron from non-ferrous metals like aluminium and copper. These sorted metals go to recyclers, are melted down and re-enter manufacturing, with some used locally and some exported.
What a car is worth depends mainly on its weight, the demand for its parts, its make and model, and whether major components are still present. Heavier vehicles like utes and vans carry more recoverable metal, and a complete car with working parts is worth more than a stripped shell. Sellers in Western Australia should also remember that number plates stay with the owner, and that a Notification of Disposal must be lodged with the Department of Transport to end responsibility for the vehicle. Photo ID is needed on the day, and stolen vehicles, cars still under finance and bodies without a chassis are generally not accepted.
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