Warning: This video contains scenes that some viewers—especially BMW enthusiasts—may find disturbing. Viewer discretion is advised.
BMW has long touted the recyclability of its vehicles as part of the company’s ongoing and ever-increasing effort to rely on renewable energy and to reclaim the materials used in its vehicles’ construction. One example of how seriously BMW takes recycling is its Recycling and Dismantling Center (RDC) outside of Munich. Open since 1994, the Unterschleissheim RDC researches better methods of recycling as it disposes of BMWs and Minis that have outlived their usefulness as test cars, prototypes, preproduction vehicles, and whatever else BMW doesn’t need them to do anymore.
Yes, it’s hard for us to look at row after row of what looks like perfectly good cars, but because of laws, regulations, or economy, BMW is sending them to that big vehicle delivery center in the sky.
These videos by BMW-web.tv, TestDriven, and Cars provide a good look at the care with which BMW removes liquids, recycles aluminum, and reclaims precious metals such as the platinum, palladium, or rhodium used in catalytic converters.
Some of the videos are lengthy, and while we may not like to witness the dismantling of BMWs and Minis, it’s like the proverbial train wreck: We don’t want to watch but we can’t turn away.
By the way, tours of the BMW Group Recycling and Dismantling Center are available through the BMW Welt, if you find yourself in Munich with nothing better to do. The tours aren’t cheap, although you would qualify for a club discount and they have lots of rules about footwear and groups and no kids under 14, but it does look interesting. No, you can’t take any souvenirs that might fit your car.
This first two videos show how the cars are handled and fluids extracted, and what the vehicle looks like at its grisly end. How they handle airbags safely is fascinating. Even the shock absorber oil has to come out. Then we see how a BMW i3 lives up to its recyclable reputation. Next up is how the company recovers and reuses aluminum. The final video shows what they do with glass. You’ll never guess what your old windshield ends up as—or maybe you will.
Rather than think about the destruction of old cars we’d still like to drive, think instead that a large portion of the materials coming from the cars being destroyed—as much as 90 to 95 percent—will end in new cars that we would like to drive.—Scott Blazey
Recycling Vehicles.
Here is the short version from BMW-web.tv
And the longer version from Cars:
This is the end for an i3, which is up to 95 percent recyclable.
Recycling Aluminum:
Recycling Glass
