Recycling Car-Parts

Fun time

Ethical car consumers usually consider better waste management ladder to conserve natural resources, landfill space and energy. Waste management include 3 R's.

Reuse - using existing used car components like engine,axle,seat etc

Reduce - waste reduction by eliminating need to manufacture new

Recycle - Items like glass, metal, rubber recycled

One such company which does better car waste management in Stavanger is 'Knoks Bildeler'. In-spite of short notice, Mr. Geir Sveinsvoll (CEO) and Ms. Siri Sveinsvoll (Finance & HSE Leader) eagerly accepted the invite for a short interview.

Ms. Siri Sveinsvoll took her valuable time to answer the below questions and took me around the facility. I would take this opportunity to really appreciate the effort and the time for my project.

Image Credits: General Motors

Here is the interview of our questions

What does your company do?
What type of guidelines do you follow while scrapping the cars?
Do you scrap the heavy metal before scrapping the car?
Can you explain Norway's regulations on scrapping the car?
How do you help to recycle car-parts?
Do any car companies/garage buy car components from you?
Can you show how it's recycled if it's happening right now?

Answers to my questions

1. At Knoks, we get scrapped cars which is basically at the end of life cycle. Old cars need treatment so it can not pollute the environment. Then we sell the scrap. Sold material can be recycled. And what we also do is buying cars from the insurance company that has been in a accident but are newer and come with a lot of good parts that can be reused. We think it's important that we use those parts instead of making new ones because it's really good for the environmental aspects.

2. There is European directive that makes a regulation for all of Europe. And then the norwegian government use these to implements in the Norwegian law called "Pollution Regulations" (Forurensningsforskrift).

3. We don't separate heavy metal from plastic because this is also in the directive that you could either separate it manually like ours or it could be on the next step which is shredder. Because we sell the pressed cars to companies like Stena Recycling who use shredders to shred cars which contains different kind of materials and also plastic. They have technology that separates it after.

4. Regulations say what kind of the facility we have to and what kind of components to be removed from the car like elimination of hazard wastes like oil, petrol/diesel, battery, airbag (to be punctured) before pressing the car in the crusher.

5. We offer car components online to sell slightly used parts for private people and to garages. And we have corporation with insurance companies and garages. So the garages should use more reusable parts and that's a priority.

6. Yes, both local and all of Norway. We have customers from car garages or like Toyota, Mustang and all brands.

7. Ms. Siri took me to a plan tour and showed me the storage warehouse and scrapping of a car. You can see below images to see what we are talking about.

THANK YOU KNOKS!!!!!

Especially you Siri!