Great article on one of original green industries, automobile salvage yards!
Earth Day will be celebrated April 22 this year, but for auto salvage yards, every day feels a little like Earth Day.
Both Cousineau Auto and Yaeger Auto Salvage in Weston are in the business of recycling and reselling auto parts, something that has a positive impact on the environment — and on consumers.
Andy Waldvogel, manager of Cousineau Auto, estimated that up to 85 percent of each vehicle at Cousineau is recycled and resold on-site. He said all car parts can be resold but not all of them are available to the general public. Catalytic converters, for example, cannot be sold as recycled parts to individuals; instead, they are sold to a processor who recycles the plutonium to make new converters.
Salvage yards try to make use of every element of a vehicle, including the fluids.
“The gas is burned in delivery trucks; drain oil is burned in specialty furnaces to heat the building; antifreeze is cleaned and resold; and washer fluid is used to clean parts,” Waldvogel said.