Effect of Changing Automobile Materials on the Junk Car of the Future

Annual projections of the amounts of metallic and non-metallic materials available for resource recovery from the average junk car in the time period 1974 through 1995 are presented. The amounts and the composition of the ferrous and non-ferrous metals and the non-metallic material derived from the recycling of junk cars will undergo large changes in the future due to the material changes adopted in the manufacture of current and future automobiles. Implications important to the recycling industry due to these changes are identified and related research and development programs which need addressing are discussed.