Did you know that each year 12 million vehicles are recycled in the U.S. alone? The environmental impact is that more than 85 million barrels of oil are saved.

You’re in the right place if you have junk cars in your backyard and are looking for ways to help reduce their impact on the environment. We can all play a part in keeping our environment clean especially when it comes to old, used cars. Here are the top three most effective ways you can help reduce your unwanted cars’ impact on the environment.

1. Break Your Car for Parts

Do you know that even if your car is old, battered and worn out, it can still be broken and sold for its parts? There are many useful parts in a car such as mirrors, turn lights, upholstery, and the battery, which can fetch you a small sum of money. Just Google, ‘junkyards near me’ to see who might be interested in buying the parts you manage to dismantle from your old car.

2. Recycle Your Car

After breaking the car, you can then choose to sell the remaining shell or you can recycle it. Don’t send it to a landfill. If you want to see just how important vehicle recycling is, consider this fact: 25 million tons of recyclable material is harvested from old cars every year.   Recycling your car is a great option if you’re not sure what to do with it anymore. There are plenty of junkyards that offer cash for junk cars around the country. In fact, there are as many as 7,000 car recycling facilities in America.

3. Remove and Dispose of Car Fluids Properly

This is ideally something that should be done before you begin to break the car for parts. Cars contain anywhere between five and 10 gallons of fluid in a variety of forms. Think battery acid, brake fluid, fuel, power steering fluid, and antifreeze. These are all chemicals that need to be properly removed and disposed of carefully.

It is worth noting that the emptying of a gas tank should be done by someone with the relevant experience as it’s a dangerous task. Most of these fluids are toxic in nature and can cause harm to animals and plants if they are not disposed of properly. If you come into contact with these substances you may suffer burns, skin reactions, and even respiratory problems.

Do the Responsible Thing and Dispose of Your Car Properly

Owning a car is a big responsibility. From the day you purchase it, to the day you re-sell it or recycle it. When you’re done using the car, make sure you do the responsible thing and dispose of it properly. In most cases it won’t even cost you anything – in fact, it might even pay you if you sell it to a junkyard. So if you’re thinking of getting rid of your car, consider calling a junkyard first.