Emission-free car and truck recycling

The first 100% emission-and-pollutant-free recycling machine for auto-shredder residue (ASR) was recently developed by engineers at Global Resource Corp., West Berlin, N.J.

The ASR machine, the Hawk 10, uses high-frequency microwaves to convert autofluff (textiles, foams, plastics, rubber, and light metal pulled from cars) into oil and gas. The process should reduce the amount of waste sent to landfills by 65%. In a process known as cracking the hydrocarbon chain, microwaves gasify the materials, converting them into 80% light combustible gases and 20% oil. The gas fuels the next round of material breakdown.

Obsolete automobiles are the most recycled high-volume consumer product in the U.S. The scrap industry already recovers about 18 million tons of ferrous scrap per year, mostly from shredded automobiles. But according to some estimates, for each ton of recovered metal, there's another 500 to 700 lb of ASR.